Soul Eater: Next Generation
by Pheonixette101
Summary: 18 years have passed since Asura was defeated. Now, the spotlight has drifted to the next generation. The Balanced Scythe Meister and her Demon Scythe. The Shadow Assassin and her Ronin Kunai. And the Shinigami Swordmaster and his twin sister sword.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Me: Well, after 2 years of this sitting in my head, I finally got around to writing it.

Onilee: Lazy ass.

Me: Shove it, Onilee! For those of you reading my "Hetalia Kids" story, don't freak out. I'll still be updating that as well as working on this new project.

Onilee: LIES ALL LIES! DON'T BE FOOLED! TELL THE PEOPLE!

Me: Okay, how much of my fudge did you eat?

Onilee: I ate none of yo fudge girl!

Me: YOU'RE EATING IT RIGHT NOW!

Onilee: ...I regret nothing.

Me: _Huff_, okay. Basically this story is just what the title implies. It's the next generation of Soul Eater characters! Parings include: SoulxMaka, Black*StarxTsubaki, and in future chapters KidxLiz. This is rated T for language, gore and a few sexual references. I don't own Soul Eater, cause if I did, this would already be published in the manga. Please Review and be kind! This was 2 years in the making and this first chapter had to be re-written like 5 times! I don't mind if you hate it, nor do I mind constructive criticism, just don't be a troll and start flaming me! I'm not a professional nor do I claim to be!

Onilee: So, please read and review this complete and utter crap!

Me: THAT'S IT! YOUR GOING INTO THE CLOSET OF NO RETURN!

* * *

_The Balanced Scythe Meister and Her Demon Scythe_

It was a cool, crisp night in Death City. The winds whistled through the treetops, bringing with it the sweet scent only midnight could bring.

On this particular night, young Ryu Avery, Demon Scythe, was waiting in the park to meet his meister. He was in their usual meeting place, hanging upside down from one of the branches of an oak tree at the center of the park. His untucked red dress-shirt had fallen slightly above his hips, revealing part of his pale abdomen. A black tie hung loosely from his neck, his black hair was spiked slightly with styling gel, and his green eyes stared at pathway.

"Damn...she's never this late," he mumbled, trying to keep his balance and not fall head-first towards the ground. "I hope nothing happened to her."

Suddenly he heard the sound of shoes hitting the pavement and panting as his meister rounded the corner and ran under the tree. Her platinum blonde hair had been tossed into a chaotic mess from the wind. She wore a black tank top with a silky, white ribbon below the breast, and a white flowing mini-skirt trimmed with black-lace. A pair of elbow-length black and white, striped, fingerless gloves clothed her forearms.

"S-Sorry...I'm late..." she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "And stop hanging upside down! I keep telling you if that branch breaks or if your legs get tired and you fall, you'll break your neck!"

Ryu chose to ignore the last part. "What happened? You're never late!"

Ryu's meister looked down. to meet his emerald green eyes with her white clouded eyes. Around her right eye was a black and blue bruise.

"Holy crap, Mine!" he exclaimed, pulling himself into a sitting position on the tree branch and dropping to the ground. "What happened?" he questioned worriedly, though he already knew the answer.

"Well...'Mom' just got a little mad at me...it's not so bad though." Mine tried reassuring her partner. "I've had worse. It'll go away in a few days." She gave a confident smile.

He still looked worried. "If it's bothering you we can take a break from training for tonight. We've been really going at it the last few nights and now's as good a time as any to relax."

"Ryu, you know I hate skimping on practice! And I already told you, it's fine!"

"Mine..." he sighed exasperatedly, his voice slightly begging. A part of him was worried about her pushing herself to hard; another was dreading another night of slicing thick oaks and resonating with his meister as she balanced his and her wavelengths.

"...Fine," Mine relented. "We'll take a break until it stops throbbing, then we start training."

"Yes!" Ryu shouted, excited at the thought of not having to work his ass off tonight with his meister, who didn't seem to understand the concept of a "break". Soon he realized he'd celebrated a little louder than intended.

Mine glared at him. "Lazy-ass," she insulted, her lip curling into a

half-sinister, half incredulous grin.

"Uptight," Ryu retorted, countering her grin with his trademark sarcastic smirk.

"Batman."

"Helen Keller!"

"I'm blind! Not blind and deaf, idiot!" She folded her arms in front of her chest. "And, just because I'm blind-."

"Doesn't mean you can't see," Ryu interrupted, clearly agitated. "You've said that a million freaking times and it still makes no sense!"

"Didn't I already explain this to you?" Mine questioned. Ryu's reply was a long pause. "I'll explain it again," she huffed. "After the accident where I lost my sight, my soul decided to pick up the slack and become my new set of eyes, giving me a sort of 'sixth sense'. My soul sends out constant wavelengths which bounce off objects and return to my soul to be interpreted. Kinda like echolocation with dolphins. I can actually see even better than people with working eyesight because my soul can pick up details others can miss."

"You're such a nerd," Ryu laughed, brushing off everything Mine had just explained.

"Makeup-wearing metro!" Mine spat, pointing an accusing finger at the black makeup drawn on his eyes.

Ryu winced inwardly. "It's Guyliner! that makes it manly!"

"It's eyeliner. A clever marketing campaign doesn't make it anymore manly."

"It does so!"

"It does not!"

"Screw you!"

Mine sighed exasperatedly. "Look, let's not spend the whole night fighting like we did yesterday. I would like to have one pleasant night."

Ryu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess. So how was your day?" Mine rolled her eyes and pointed to her blackened one. "Right...forgot about that," Ryu stated.

"Well, how was yours? I heard you went on another compatibility mission. Did this one go any better?"

"No, they paired me up some new girl with absolutely no experience. She could barely stand on her own two feet in battle, let alone wield me properly. Ended in another failure."

"Ouch...why do you have to keep doing these again?"

"Because no one in the school had any luck pairing with me of their own free will. So the teachers decided to speed things up and pair me with people until I find someone." He growled. "This wouldn't be an issue if your evil, manipulative 'mom' would LET you go to school and we could be legit partners instead of sneaking off at midnight practically every night to train for missions we'll never go on!"

"You aren't the only one who hates her…I want Tsubasa dead just as much as the next guy." Ryu looked up at his meister, who only seldom said cursed woman's name, because she said doing so made her feel sick. "But, I...I just can't leave her..." Mine sighed and sat down on a park bench.

"Why not?" Ryu asked.

"She's all I've got...after the accident I lost everything...my sight, my memories, everything. And all I ended up with was burn scars on my arm and some damn woman claiming to be my mom." She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and calm her anger. "I know she's not my mom...even if I can't remember my real one I know Tsubasa can't be her. Stupid memory loss."

Ryu nodded knowingly. "Amnesia works in weird ways. You could wake up tomorrow morning and remember everything. You just have to keep hoping."

All of the sudden a loud shriek pierced through the quiet night.

"What the hell?" Ryu turned in the direction of the scream.

Mine leapt up from her seat, closing her eyes in concentration, trying to figure out who had screamed. "It's two souls, coming from that direction." She pointed down a path. "One is normal...the other's definitely pre-Kishin. Let's go!"

"Right!" Ryu began his transformation into a scythe, his whole body suddenly glowing with an almost blinding white light. His human features disappeared and were replaced with the black staff of a scythe and a long, curved, cobalt blade longer than Mine's entire body. Mine grabbed her now fully transformed weapon and rushed in the direction of the pre-Kishin soul.

"It's somewhere close…I can sense it," Mine whispered.

"Be careful, we've never gone up against an enemy before. The closest thing we've beaten was a maple tree." Ryu answered sarcastically.

"Relax, I can handle this." Mine smirked confidently, ignoring Ryu's cynicism.

They turned down a path leading further into the park, just in time to see the pre-Kishin monster devouring the shiny blue soul of its victim. It was lean, and covered with thick, coarse brown hair. On its back was a pair of smooth, bat-like wings. It turned its head towards the young meister and her weapon.

"More...power..." it growled.

"Ugh, this thing is disgusting," Mine stated.

"Yeah, let's do the community a favor and get rid of it," Ryu replied, his blade glimmering in the moonlight.

The bat-like creature charged at the two, its claws sharp and poised to kill. Mine jumped into the air at the last second, narrowly missing its claws and slashing its back with her scythe.

The creature howled in pain as blood oozed from the deep gash Ryu had made. It turned to them again, its red eyes flashing with murderous rage. Mine stared blankly at it. No fear at all was etched in her features. She grounded herself and raised Ryu high, ready to strike again.

"Woah, that was close!" Ryu remarked.

"I guess my 'sixth sense' comes in more handy than I thought."

The creature snarled with pure fury and lunged quickly at Mine, who stood perfectly still and unmoving. Its claws began slashing at her rapid-fire. Mine used Ryu to flawlessly block each talon. Her feet seemingly danced across the ground, her moves graceful and fluid.

Their enemy began to get frustrated that they hadn't fallen to its power yet. Its attacks became more haphazard and frenzied.

Mine wasn't quick enough to keep up with all the attacks and felt a swift claw sink into her shoulder, grazing the skin just enough to break it.

But no ruby red trickled from Mine's wound. Instead an inky black came in small stream down her arm.

Mine ignored the pain, knowing her body's limits better than anyone else. Her enemy had tired itself out and had fallen back slightly. She saw her chance and took the initiative, charging at the creatures and slashing through its torso with one quick and swift motion.

The pre-Kishin faded into the night, leaving behind only its ember-like red soul.

Ryu changed back into his human form and picked up the soul. "My first

Kishin-egg soul," He murmured in amazement. "Ha! Take that compatibility meisters!" He shoved the soul into his pocket and turned to Mine. "That was amazing! That thing came right at us and you didn't even flinch! All my compatibility meisters would have run away screaming!" He laughed, then noticed Mine was clutching her arm. "Shit, did it get you?"

"Just grazed me, it should scab over quickly." She smiled softly, knowing full well what her blood could do.

"You sure?"

"Quit worrying so much, if I was really injured you'd know."

"Alright..." he accepted a little reluctantly. "Though, really Mine, you have to come to classes with me! The DWMA could really use that 'sixth sense'!"

Mine shook her head sadly, pulling her hand away. "You know I can't. I really want to though..."

"Can't you just run away?"

"No...she'd kill me, Ryu. You don't know what's she's capable of."

"Well, she's capable of hurting you!" he pointed out angrily, indicating her black eye. "Mine, from the moment we promised to be partners 3 years ago, we promised to look out for each other! I'm not exactly doing a good job of it if I let you stay with your 'mom', or whoever the hell she is!"

"I can handle it, Ryu. I'm tougher than I look, remember? I just have to keep moving forward. I'll be absolutely fine."

"I'm having a really hard time believing that, Mine!"

"You don't have to...but you can't tell anyone about her or me. She'll kill us both without hesitation."

Ryu paused and took a deep breath, knowing Mine was too stubborn to give in anytime soon, if at all. "I guess I'll have to trust you on that...but one day I will get you out of that place. I swear as your weapon I will!"

Mine smiled. "Thanks Ryu...that means a lot." She looked at her watch, and her eyes grew wide. "Uh-oh! Is it that late already! Sorry, Ryu, I have to go!" She turned and ran towards her house. "See you tomorrow Ryu!"

"Yeah...bye..." Ryu waved weakly, he knew he could do nothing to help his meister, and it ate him up inside.

Mine ran as fast as her legs would take her. 'Gotta get home...gotta hurry!' she thought. 'If she realizes I'm gone...no, don't think about it. Just keep running. Wait, my cut!' She looked down and sighed a breath of relief. It had scabbed over nicely and would probably be healed over by the time she got home.

She finally made it to her small house on the outskirts of Death City. It looked like any old house from the outside, but this exterior only masked the hellish nightmare that occurred inside.

Mine crept to the side of the house to a window. She hopped into the small ditch, slid the window open and slunk into her small dingy room. She shut her window and crawled into her cot, closing her eyes and praying that her 'mom' wouldn't come so soon.

Her prayers were left unanswered as the she heard a key unlock her door. She opened her eyes, feigning exhaustion to make it look like she had just awoken. She saw a tall woman enter the room. Her dark, coarse brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders, her icy blue eyes seemed to pierce into your very being, her long fingernails were painted blood red and looked like claws themselves, and an elaborately designed black dress adorned her.

"Mine..." she hissed acidly, her voice sounded inhuman.

"Yes...M-mom," she stuttered, trying not to sound as afraid as she was.

"Come with me sweetheart, we need to run some more tests." She smiled, a sickly sweet tone oozing from her lips

Mine cringed. Tests meant needles, and she was beyond terrified of needles. Especially when said needles were filled with Tsubasa's experimental fluids.

"Hurry up, you useless brat!"

Mine rose to her feet and followed Tsubasa through the halls of the extensive basement. Her head was hung low, and she dreaded whatever fate awaited her further below.

They went down another flight of stairs, deeper into the earth where the lab was. A large room filled with test tubes of strange potions and books filled with notes on their previous experiments.

"Sit on the table, dearest." Mine sat obediently on the table, watching in horror as Tsubasa produced a long needle filled with a blue serum.

"Give me your arm." Mine shrunk away. Tsubasa grabbed her right arm roughly and plunged the needles into her arm.

Mine shrieked, as the liquid it made her entire body feel like it was on fire. "S-Stop!" she wailed. "Please s-stop!"

Tsubasa yanked the needle out and examined her eyes. "Dammit...nothing!"

'The doctors said the fire ruined them beyond repair you stupid bitch!' Mine yelled in her head. 'None of your experiments will change that!'

Tsubasa took a scalpel and handed it to Mine. "Sweetie, give Mommy some of that precious blood you have," Tsubasa cooed. "It'll help me out a lot."

Mine gulped as she held the scalpel to her arm. she knew if she didn't cut, Tsubasa would, and she would be neither be gentle nor careful. Mine grit her teeth as she made the incision, and a midnight color poured from her forearm. Tsubasa produced a vial and filled it with the blood. When it was full, she gave Mine a rag stained with red and black blood from her previous incisions and patted her head. "Good girl." She smiled.

Mine pushed the rag against her cut. Thankfully it was black this time. Last time it was red Tsubasa cut her all over until she bled black. Besides, the black healed faster, so she wouldn't have to worry about bleeding out.

"That's all I need for tonight," Tsubasa said, putting the vial in her pocket. "You may leave now."

Mine sprung to her feet and dashed back to her room, burrowing under her thin blanket. Why couldn't she beat Tsubasa like she did that pre-Kishin monster with Ryu? Why was she so damn afraid of her?

Mine shook under the covers and gazed at the shadows the moon cast on her floor. Maybe someday she'd have the strength to beat her, maybe someday her memories would return and she could find her real parents, maybe someday she could be free to go to the DWMA, maybe...just maybe, someday her hellish nightmare of a life could end.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

Next Chapter: _The Shadow Assasin and Her Ronin Kunai_! _Coming soon!_

* * *

A/N

Me: Yeah, really dramatic huh?

Onilee: Could've used more torture.

Me: Sadist.

Onilee: You're the one who wrote this!

Me: *turns to readers* Well, I'll be posting chapter 2 based on the response I get in the reviews. Good reviews=Next chapter sooner! Bad/No reviews=YOU WAIT 2 MONTHS!

Onilee: That is an honest threat, she has REALLY bad procrastination!

Me: Onilee's right...for once. So sometimes this may take a long time to update, but I will finish this if it kills me, HONEST!

Onilee: Hope you guys are good at playing the waiting game!

Me: UNTIL NEXT TIME, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, AND REVIEW~!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Me: Jeez, I've been busting my ass all last week to make these intros...I'm really surprised at myself. Usually I sit on the couch all week and watch Law&Order SVU.

Onilee: Which is what you did THIS week.

Me: BUT NOT FOR LONG! I SHALL WRITE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE!

Onilee: Don't get your hopes up people. She still suffers from extreme procrastination. Last week was just a freak week. It won't happen often IF it happens again.

Me: WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO MEAN!

Onilee: BLAME YOURSELF YOU CREATED ME!

Me: ...Point taken. Anyway, I'm glad you guys decided to stick with me till this chapter 2. Now without further adieu. ENJOY~!

* * *

_The Shadow Assassin and Her Ronin Kunai_

Another cool night had befallen Death City, but the evening was anything but peaceful. More bat-like pre-Kishin had been spotted throughout town and were causing havoc on the populace. One of these atrocious monsters prowled a dark alley searching for more souls, more power. Unbeknownst to it, someone was silently creeping through the blackness behind it, stalking it with practiced ease.

This someone had shrouded themselves completely in shadow, their existence a mystery to all, their breath all but erased from the air.

Slowly, the pre-Kishin came to the end of the alleyway, growling as it came face to face with a dead end.

The one lurking in the shadows found their perfect time to strike. The shadows dissipated, revealing a young, bright blue-haired girl. A long black scarf covered her face and nose, and her Kunai knives shimmering in the pale moonlight. Under the scarf, she smirked.

The pre-kishin turned around just in time to see several Kunai rushing at it. Before it could dodge the attack the knives were deeply lodged in its chest. Blood trickled down (Down what?) as it fell with a loud thud. The creature faded away, leaving behind its red soul.

"Bing!" The assassin giggled. She began to pick up her knives as they began to glow and join together into one, changing back into human form. As the glow sparked out, a tall boy emerged with light brown hair, calm sky-blue eyes, and a black zip-up hoodie that was opened slightly to reveal a bright red T-shirt underneath.

"That's the last one for tonight. Right, Night*Star?" The boy questioned his meister as he picked up the pre-Kishin soul.

"Yup! We've reached the quota, Eri!" Night*Star replied, crackling with energy and excitement. "Well, you know what that means!" she exclaimed.

"Wha-?" Before Eri could finish, his meister had pounced onto his back piggy-back style, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders.

"BACKPACK TIME!" she declared as Eri rolled his eyes letting out a long sigh. "NOW MUSH!"

"NS, please get off," he asked politely.

"No," she replied with childish stubbornness.

"Please."

"No. Now mush!"

Eri dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a nicely sized chocolate bar. NS stared at it and her mouth automatically watered. "I'll give this to you if you get off my back. Deal?"

"DEAL!" she cried, springing off his back as if he were a live wire and pouncing for the chocolate which Eri willingly gave to her. She ripped off the colorful foil and bite into the sweet, succulent chocolate, probably the only thing that could calm NS down. Eri stumbled upon this fact entirely by accident when they first met and became partners, he'd been using it to his advantage ever since.

"Anyway, we probably should report this to Death," Eri pointed out.

NS licked her fingers as she finished the sugary treat. "Well, Mom's restaurant isn't far from here! Let's call him there!" She grabbed Eri's hand forcefully and began pulling him through the streets. Eri had long since realized it was a bad idea to struggle if NS wanted to take you somewhere.

NS bounded down the avenue until she saw the familiar sign overhead reading "Death City Café" She began moving even faster, much to Eri's discomfort as NS's leading turned into to dragging. She proceeded to kick down the front door as soon as they arrived.

"MOM! YOU STILL HERE?" she called, looking around the darkened café.

"Night*Star, must you always shout?" A woman appeared in the doorway leading into the kitchen, her long black hair swept into a ponytail and her deep blue eyes sparkling with warmth and understanding: Night*Star's mother, Tsubaki.

"What do you mean shout? This is my normal voice!" NS questioned, genuinely confused. Tsubaki only smiled in response, rolling her eyes. "Me and Eri just finished our mission. Can we call Death from the mirror?" NS indicated a mirror hanging from the wall.

"Go ahead! But make it snappy. I'm about to close up shop. Oh, and tell Kid I say hi!"

"Mooom," NS whined, "it's embarrassing to tell your superiors your mother says 'hi'!"

"Just tell him, "Tsubaki says hi!' instead if it really bothers you," Tsubaki chuckled as her daughter began writing numbers on the mirror with her index finger.

"HEY! DEATH? YOU THERE? SHADOW ASSASSIN NIGHT*STAR AND KUNAI WEAPON ERI REPORTING!"

NS's reflection in the mirror was replaced with a window-like view into the Death room, where a disgruntled Death the Kid was waiting, "NS, for the last time, you don't have to shout! I can hear you perfectly fine when you speak normally." Kid hadn't changed much in so many years: he had gotten taller and his jacket was designed a little differently, though still just as symmetrical as ever. Probably the most significant change was the three white Sanzu lines now wrapped fully around his head. Though inside, he was still the same old OCD-prone death-god.

"Sorry about that sir..." Eri apologized.

"It's no problem. So what's the news?"

"I just finished kicking the last pre-Kishin's ass! Our mission is complete!" NS boasted.

"Very good…you're well on your way to creating a Deathscythe, NS."

"Yeah, but you'll never make one as cool as me!" A voice said off-screen. A white-haired man came into view next to Kid, smiling at NS and Eri to reveal a row of sharp, shark-like teeth: the current Deathscythe, Soul.

"Ah! Mr. Deathscythe!" NS acknowledged, bowing her head slightly in admiration. "Great to see you again!

"Yeah, good to see you too NS! But, for the last time, you can call me Soul. All this 'Mr.' stuff is a little too uptight for my tastes." He replied smoothly, in his characteristic laid-back tone.

"Hey, Soul," NS tried, "is my dad still there?"

"Some of his students had to stay after for his class," Kid explained. "He should be home soon."

"Awesome!" NS smiled fondly at the thought of her father.

"I just feel sorry for those poor kids..." Eri mumbled.

"Yeah," Soul added. "Black*Star can sure tough on the students."

"Hey! He taught me everything I know!" NS bragged.

"We know." Three voices spoke automatically.

"Well, in the meantime, get some rest NS. You've been working on this mission non-stop the past few days."

"Got it, sir!" NS saluted, puffing out her chest.

"Bye, you two!" Kid and Soul waved goodbye as the mirror went blank.

Eri turned to NS. "It's only 8 o'clock. Let's go grab a bite to eat before we head to your place."

"Sounds fun!" NS chirped, and lead the way out the door. "See you back at the house, Mom!"

"Have fun, you two!"

Once they were outside, NS asked Eri, "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"…KFC," Eri answered, just barely above a whisper, a slight blush creeping across his cheeks.

"What is it with you and fried chicken?" NS wondered a lot louder than Eri would have liked. "You're Japanese aren't you?"

"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy a bucket of Kentucky fried chicken," Eri mumbled a bit indignantly.

NS started laughing hysterically. "You're weird, you know that? C'mon, KFC is that way!"

Eri smiled slightly at his meister. She could be hard to handle at times, but she understood him better than most people. 'I guess I got lucky...in a strange sense...' Eri thought. 'The world works in mysterious ways...'

NS looked over her shoulder to see Eri smiling, lost in thought. She grinned mischievously and slowed down to let Eri past her. Eri, too deep in thought to notice her, walked passed her. NS crept up behind him and yelled out to the pitch-black night, "BACKPACK TIME!"

She jumped onto Eri's back, hooking herself firmly there. Eri yelped and jumped slightly at the sudden weight on his back, nearly falling over. When he regained his footing and realized what happened, he groaned. "NS..."

"ONWARD!" she cried, pointing in the direction of the KFC just on the horizon.

"I'm not a husky, NS."

"Well, maybe you should learn to focus more!" she scolded. "You're an assassin's weapon! You have to stay alert! Not get lost in your own mind every time I turn my back on you! Now, ONWARD!"

"I'll give you chocolate if you get off," Eri bargained, reaching into his pocket.

"I ate it all when you weren't paying attention," NS stated matter-of-factly. Eri dug into his pocket and realized with a sinking feeling that she was right. "Told you, you have to pay attention, or people will steal your shit! And you don't want shit-stealers stealing your shit!" NS chided, wagging her finger playfully. "Now, MOVE ALREADY!"

Eri sighed heavily and began walking towards their destination. Lucky for him, NS was lighter then she looked. '5"5, 112 pounds and she's one hell of force to be reckoned with.' Eri thought, his mind beginning to wander again. 'Again, I'm sure lucky I have her on my side now...wait a minute, how do I know how much she weighs?'

"YO, EARTH TO ERI!" A voice interrupted his train of thought. He froze and realized they were right in front of KFC. "What did I tell you about focusing?"

"...Something about shit-stealers stealing my shit if I don't focus?" Eri repeated sheepishly.

"That's right!" NS confirmed, letting herself slide off his back. "Now let's eat! I'm star-."

"YAHOO!" A voice cut in from a block away. In the distance Eri and NS could make out a tall blue-haired man, Black*Star, running in front of a class of students dressed in DWMA standard gym uniforms. "YOU CALL YOURSELVES MEISTERS AND WEAPONS?" Black*Star barked, "I'VE SEEN SNAILS MOVE FASTER THAN YOU! THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH ON THE BATTLEFIELD! LIFE OR DEATH KIDS!" The groans of the kids were barely masked by Black*Star's loud shouts.

NS chuckled fondly, "Good old dad..."

Eri smiled a little nervously, "Y-Yeah..."

Black*Star noticed his daughter, "HI NIGHT*STAR!" he exclaimed proudly as he and his class passed her. "TELL YOUR MOM TO KEEP DINNER WARM FOR ME!"

"YOU GOT IT DAD!" NS replied with equal enthusiasm.

'It's easy to see where she gets it from,' Eri pondered. 'Her enthusiasm can only be matched, even beaten by her Dad's.'

Once Black*Star's class and he were a block away, though still able to be heard perfectly, NS walked into KFC as Eri followed close behind her, slowly slipping back into his train of thoughts. Little did the two of them know, this would be the last peaceful night in Death City they would have for a long time.

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

Next Chapter: _The Shinigami Swordmaster and His Twin Sister Sword_!

* * *

A/N

Me: Well, that was Night*Star and Eri's introduction! I hope you all enjoyed the little spazz-ball!

Onilee: I sure as hell didn't!

Me: You hate everything I do! Anyway, readers I WANNA HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK! Did you hate it? Did you love it? Do you think it could be improved? Do you think it's good the way it is? I would love to know! If it's bad, tell me without flaming me! If it's good, a little encouragement goes a long way in update times!

Onilee: Same as last time Good/Lots of reviews=Next chapter sooner! Bad/No reviews= YOU WAIT TWO MONTHS!

Me: UNTIL NEXT TIME~!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

Me: *dramatically* Well, we've come down to our last introduction.

Onilee: Sucks just as much as the last 2.

Me: *holds gun to head* Just shut up. You're job is to stand there and look cute! That's what your paid for, now do it.

Onilee: YOU'RE GOING TO PAY ME?

Me: It's an expression.

Onilee: DAMN YOU!

Me: Now, I have the honor to introduce Kazu and Kira~!

* * *

_The Shinigami Swordmaster and His Twin Sister Sword_

The hour was midnight in Mumbai, India. The normally busy streets were almost deserted, as they ought to be. A pre-Kishin had been prowling these empty streets, sending the populace into a state of panic. As usual, The DWMA had sent a meister and weapon pair to deal with the growing issue.

"Kazu, will you be quiet!" Kira whispered angrily at her twin. "You're going to get us caught! We have to surprise this guy or he'll either kill us or escape!"

"Sorry Kira!" Kazu apologized, usual happy and bubbly tone bouncing off the temple walls.

One could easily tell that the two were twins. They were the same height, had the same black hair color though Kira's dark locks were longer, the same golden eyes, even the same birthmark on their right ankles of 3 black horizontal lines. The way they dressed was also similar; both of them wore black uniform-like coats with white dress shirts underneath, the same silver skull clip fastened under their collars, the only difference between their outfits was Kira wore a mini-skirt, something she did NOT enjoy wearing, while Kazu wore black dress pants.

"This is the last guy on the list for this mission, so do me a favor and DON'T SCREW THIS UP!" she growled through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Kazu smiled cheerfully, smoothing his black uniform jacket.

Kira rolled her eyes and lead Kazu through the temple until they reached the largest room in the complex. Opposite them at the end of the room was their target, an old Hindu priest who, according to their mission briefing, had chosen a dark path to avoid death. The altar in front of him was covered in iridescent blue human souls. The pre-Kishin was still clad in the robes he wore when he was still human, his eyes sunken in, giving him the appearance of a walking corpse, several of his teeth were missing and his fingernails were long and a crusty yellow color.

"There he is!" Kazu exclaimed.

"What did I say about being quiet, dammit!" Kira hissed at her brother. "Let's take care of this quickly before you make a mess of things." With that Kira's body radiated a white light as she transformed into a katana, her blade sharp and fine enough to slice a piece of hair down the middle.

Kazu picked her up by her handle and held her in the way Kira had taught him. "Let's go!" he cried.

The pre-Kishin turned around at the sound of Kazu's exuberant voice, its eyes glowing a burning, bloody red. An inhuman growl escaped its lips.

"You're hopeless..." Kira muttered. "Let's just get this over with. HURRY UP AND CUT HIM BEFORE HE KILLS YOU!"

Following Kira's instruction, Kazu charged at the once-priest at full speed. He lifted his blade and sliced the arm of the monstrosity, the blade cut deep into it's skin, slashing through muscle, and grazing the bone.

The pre-Kishin cursed in its native tongue as it stumbled forward. Ignoring the gash, it quickly regained its footing and balled its fists, swinging them wildly at Kazu. Kazu was too quick for it and managed to avoid its attacks with graceful and practiced ease.

"Tee-hee, you can't catch me silly! I'm half shinigami!" Kazu taunted, waving Kira around mockingly.

"STAB THE THING ALREADY!" Kira shouted in frustration. "THIS IS A FIGHT, NOT A HARVEST DANCE!"

"'KAY!" Kazu replied, then effortlessly plunged the katana into the pre-Kishin's stomach. It coughed and sputtered, but it was still alive.

"TWIST THE DAMN BLADE!" Kira roared. "FINISH HIM!"

"What's the magic word?" Kazu inquired innocently.

"NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR PLEASANTRIES!" Kira snapped.

"I won't twist it until you say it!" Kazu replied in a sing-song voice. The pre-Kishin struggled against the blade, still clinging to life.

Kira sighed and muttered acidly, "Please twist the freaking blade..."

Kazu immediately smiled and gave the blade a quick twist. The pre-Kishin howled and faded, leaving behind its soul.

Kira changed back into human form and picked up her prize. Finally their job was done.

"Kira?" Kazu asked timidly.

"What is it Kazu?"

"Well, I was wondering, since the mission is over...can we go out for ice cream like you promised me?"

Kira groaned inwardly, as she had forgotten that she had made that promise to get Kazu to focus on the mission. "I said MAYBE we could get ice cream! Besides, we have to call Kid."

Kazu's face lit up. "OH! Can I call daddy?" he exclaimed. "Please, please, please, pleeeeeaase!"

"Sure! I hate calling him anyway!" Kira answered exasperatedly.

"But...he's our daddy," Kazu pointed out, a pout forming on his lips. "Why do you hate calling him so much?"

"I already told you! Because he's an OCD freaking mental case, I don't care what the damn adoption papers say, I'll never see that man as my father!"

"KIIIIIIIRAAA!" Kazu whined. "Quit being so mean!"

"MAKE ME!" Kira challenged. "I still won't change my opinion about him!"

Kazu eyes widened as they began to fill with tears, and his lip quivered as he began to sniffle.

Kira realized she had gone too far. "K-Kazu! No, please don't cry! You know I hate it when you cry!" As Kazu continued to sniffle, Kira knew there was only one way to stop his blubbering. She began forcing the words out of her mouth. "Kazu, I was kidding...I...l-love...Kid..."

Kazu's smile quickly returned. "YOU DO?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever..."

"Awesome! I'm sure he'd love to hear that when I call him!"

"DON'T YOU DARE! Ugh, just make the damn call!"

"Okay! Stand back!" Kazu closed his eyes in concentration and spread his palms downward out in front of him. They shone with purple and black light as the image of a skull traced itself onto the ground of the temple. A pillar of light shone up out of it and the image of Death the Kid appeared. He smiled at Kazu.

"Hello, son."

"HI DADDY!" Kazu cried.

"I trust you're checking in about your mission. How did it go?"

"Great! We killed all the bad guys for you! Right, Kira?"

"Yeah, whatever..." Kira mumbled disinterestedly.

"Well, you called at a good time. I was actually just about to contact the two of you."

Kira perked up slightly. "What for?"

"Well, you remember those humanoid bat creatures that were attacking Death City civilians?"

"Yeah!" Kazu giggled. "You assigned the mission to take care of them to NS and Eri!"

"That's right, but we recently discovered their numbers are far greater than we expected."

"So what?" Kira interrogated. "NS can't take the pressure?" She grinned smugly at the thought.

"No, she has plenty of energy to keep up with them, at least for now. I need you two to handle the matter in a different way..."

"What do you mean, 'different way'?" Kira continued.

"I'll explain it to you in full when you get back, so hurry up and get home."

"WILL DO, DADDY!" Kazu saluted. Kira simply nodded rather curtly.

With that, Kid's image disappeared along with the purple skull that had appeared on the ground.

"NOW can we get ice cream?"

"WHEN WE GET HOME!"

"...Can't we just make a quick stop before we hit the road?"

"NO! NOW LET'S GO!" She began shoving Kazu out of the temple. It was going to be a long trip home.

* * *

A few hours later, they found themselves walking the streets of Death City once more. The sun had risen and students had begun their walks to morning classes.

Kazu was happily licking the ice cream cone Kira had finally bought him after his constant begging forced her to relent. She led the way to the school.

Just as they had almost reached the gate, a loud voice cried out from seemingly nowhere, "BING!"

The twins turned to see a bright blue bolt of energy sprinting towards them. It tackled Kazu and pulled him into a tight hug.

"NS!" Kazu exclaimed, happy to see his friend again.

Eri soon appeared. "Jeez NS...I can't keep up with you! Now get off of Kazu!"

"No way! I wanna hug him some more!"

"You better do what your weapon says," Kira stated darkly. NS looked up at her and glared.

"Make me!" NS taunted.

"Like I'd turn up a chance to beat the snot outta you!" Kira grinned, cracking her knuckles and advancing on NS.

"KIRA!" Kazu cried, "STOP BEING SO MEAN TO NS! SHE'S MY FRIEND!"

"Kazu, it's fine." NS chuckled, slowly rising off him to meet Kira. "I'll go easy on your sister."

"Alright then," Kira spoke, grinning. "MAKE MY JOB EASIER!" With that, she charged at NS.

NS took her head on, blocking the attack with her palms, pushing back on her, trying to force her to break. Kira didn't give up and pressed on, knowing of she relented and let NS successfully push her back, she would go flying. They became deadlocked into the situation, both too stubborn to give up or give in. They would go until one of them was declared winner, or when they became too tired to continue. The latter was more likely to happen first.

Eri turned to Kazu, "Kazu, I'm so sorry about NS. She didn't get enough chocolate this morning, so she's been a little...edgy."

"It's not her fault. Kira just likes picking fights with people, she such a big meanie." Their attention returned to the stalemate between their partners.

"I guess this could go on for a while." Eri sighed.

"Don't worry! They'll get tired eventually!" Kazu declared optimistically.

Twenty minutes later, Kazu's prediction came true and the both slowly began to let their guard down and sink to the ground.

"Had enough?" NS growled weakly.

"That all you got?" Kira continued with just as much exhaustion.

Kazu cut it. "C'mon Kira! Daddy has to brief us for our mission!"

Kira rose. "Yeah, sure...coming." She followed Kazu through the DWMA gate and through the halls, cursing the stubborn ninja as they reached the Death Room, where Kid was waiting.

"DADDY!" Kazu squealed with delight as he rushed towards his father, hugging his leg and dangling on it like he was a 3-year-old.

Kid smiled nervously, and patted Kazu's head. "Hey Kazu...can you get off my leg?"

"Whoops! Sorry, Daddy!" Kazu frowned slightly and unclamped himself from Kid's leg.

Kid turned to Kira. "Glad to see you two made it, Kira."

Kira humphed, then quickly looked at her dad, an idea brewing in her mind. "Hey, Dad?"

"Hmm?" Kid questioned.

"You do realize there's a black mark on your left cheek, right?"

"WH-WHAT?" Kid flew into a panic. "HOW COULD THAT BE? I WAS SURE I WAS PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL THIS MORNING!"

Kira by this point had doubled over in laughter. Her Dad's OCD may have been strange, but it sure as hell was funny.

Kid pulled a compact mirror out of his pocket so he could locate the incriminating mark and eliminate it. He scoured his entire face, and saw no disturbance in his symmetry. "Kira..." He looked at his daughter, who was trying and failing to hold back her laughter. His annoyed tone rang through the room. "That was not funny, young lady!" He scolded.

"No...IT WAS FREAKING HILARIOUS!" Kira burst into laughter.

Kid buried his face in his hand. "Well, let's just get this briefing over with."

"What is it you want us to do, Daddy?" Kazu asked curiously.

"Well, as you know, the bat pre-Kishin have been multiplying rapidly in number and we have reason to believe that they aren't acting on their own."

"Like, they're being led by someone?" Kira inquired, her laughter dying down.

Kid nodded. "Someone inside Death City itself. This problem is more serious than most people would think. Not many pre-Kishin show up in Death City in large packs like this unless they have some kind of plan. That puts citizens, more importantly, the DWMA, at risk."

"Why's that?" Kira pressed.

"Well, clearly if someone took the time to raise such an army they're planning to attack a large organization, such as the school. For a pre-Kishin trying to gain more power, the school stands as a huge obstacle, a facility designed for training people to hunt them down and destroy them. But these bats aren't smart enough to figure that out on their own."

"So, that's why you think someone's leading them!" Kazu added.

"Correct. We think it might be a witch but we don't have enough information yet to conclude that, let alone where their base of operations is or of their future plans. Which is why I called you to-."

"Lemme guess: intel mission?" Kira interrupted.

"Yes," Kid proceeded. "Gather as much information as you can about these creatures and see if you can figure out who's controlling them and where they are. Once you do that, immediately report to me and I'll handle it from there. Try to minimize engagement in battle as much as possible, got it?"

"Got it!" Kazu replied.

"Sure, I don't care..." Kira responded.

"Good…I wish you two luck."

With that the twins turned around, leaving the Death Room.

"Wow! This is going to be so cool!" Kazu exclaimed as they walked through the halls. "I love these intel missions!"

"I'd like them better if you kept your mouth shut during them!" Kira grumbled.

"Don't worry, Kira, I promise to this time! Honest!"

"You said that right before the last mission and I couldn't get you to shut up for five minutes!"

"This time'll be different! I swear!"

"Whatever you say...well, let's get this over with. First we'll need to find one of those things and follow it to its main hideout. I'll bet we find the ringleader there!"

"You mean like the circus?" Kazu cut in excitedly.

"...Yes...I mean exactly like the circus."

"YAY!"

The DWMA school grounds slowly got further and further away as the twins walked into town square to begin their mission.

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _Battle of the Souls_!_ Coming soon!_

* * *

A/N

Me: Yeah, chapter 4's title is work in...I may change it...Oh, and I have something fairly important to say. I only got these chapters up fairly quickly because I wrote them in a 3 or 4 day stretch a few weeks ago. Updates may not be as common as hoped. Especially considering I'm a horrible procrastinator and have 2 fanfics to worry about. I'll try to get chapter 4 done this week as well as work on my other chapters for my other fic. But...don't get your hopes up!

Onilee: Just give up already, you still suck as much as ever.

Me: *slumps in defeat* Just...go in the corner and see if you can get my creative juices flowing. Chapter four is where it all comes together! I CAN'T SCREW THIS UP!

Onilee: You will!

Me: THAT'S IT, WHERE THE F*** IS MY FLAMETHROWER!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

Me: Okay, I'm just going to get this over with and apologize for the OVER 2 MONTH WAIT! I'm so so so so SO sorry! Life has been really crazy lately. I had finals, grades, summer school, and my other fanfic. But let me make this PERFECTLY CLEAR. I will finish this if it kills me. Even if I don't update for 6 months, I'LL FINISH IT! There's no way in hell I'm giving this up, I spent two years working on this!

Onilee: And yet, It's still crap!

Me: *punches Onilee* Few other things I need to touch base on, I've gotten a PM from a confused reader about Kid's relationship with Kazu and Kira. For those who were also a little confused; Kid isn't their biological father, he adopted the twins BUT they are still half Shinigami. I will devote some chapters in the future to explaining this!

Onilee: NO ONE CARES!

Me: *ignores* Next, I do apologize if these chapters have been...slow and a little boring. They're introductions and were meant as a set-up, I fear this will be more of the same, but PLEASE BEAR WITH ME! I promise it'll pick up! There'll be missions, enemies, dark pasts, and a lot of madness!

Onilee: *yawn* Boring! Let's just turn this into a smut fic and move on!

Me: STOP BEING A TROLL ONILEE! Enjoy Chapter 4!

* * *

_Battle of the Souls, Showdown at the DWMA [Part 1] _

The sun had just set on the streets of Death City, the street lights had just turned on, the last of the twilight had faded to darkness, and an eerie silence hung in the air.

"WHEEEEEEEEE!"

"Kazu, shut up!" Kira slapped her hand over her twin's mouth. "Do you want us to get caught?"

"Sowwy, Kira," Kazu whispered pulling Kira's hand off his mouth.

"We already fought our way through enough of those bat things, I don't wanna deal with them anymore..."

"So this is the place, huh?" Kazu asked, pointing to a seemingly inconspicuous house on the outskirts of Death City.

Kira nodded. "This has to be where all these things are coming from. I can feel the madness swirling around this place..."

Kazu shuddered. "I...I feel it too..."

"Don't chicken out on me Kazu! We have to confirm that this is the place and report back to Kid-!"

"Report to DADDY," Kazu corrected.

Kira rolled her eyes, knowing that she would never refer to her adoptive father by that title. "Yeah, sure, whatever…report to him so he can shut it down!"

"Okay~!" Kazu beamed. "If it'll help Daddy!"

"Alright...we need a plan here..."

"Maybe we could knock on the door?" Kazu suggested innocently.

Kira promptly thumped him on the back of the head. "This is a secret mission, you idiot! We can't just knock on the door and go, 'Well hi there, nice to meet you! Are you making all those bat creatures that are fucking up our city? You are? Well, we'll be right back with the back-up to destroy this place!' "

"Kira! Quit being so mean!" Kazu whined.

Kira huffed. "Fine…look let's look around the house, see if there's an open window and climb in. But we have to be silent! Got it? If you're silent, I'll buy you ice cream for the next week!"

"YAY~! Let's do it!" Kazu cheered as Kira transformed into her katana form.

With Kira's handle in his hand, Kazu began to sneak around the exterior of the house, searching for a way in.

"There's one!" Kira smiled, pointing at a barely ajar window.

"Kay!" Kazu opened the window quietly until there was enough space for him to squeeze through. On the other side of the window was an apparently perfectly normal living room. The walls were painted a warm rosy color, and were bare save for a clock that hung in the corner. A simple loveseat was placed in the center of the room, facing the marble fireplace. A thin layer of dust coated the whole room, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

"Alright, we're in," Kira whispered. "I can sense that he bulk of the madness isn't here..."

"Then where is it?" Kazu asked.

"I can't tell...look around a bit. But quietly!" Kira warned severely.

Kazu nodded, pulling an imaginary zipper across his lips, locking it and tossing the "key" over his shoulder with finality. Kira rolled her eyes as they moved out of the living room and into the main hall.

"Where to go...where to go..." Kira muttered, scrutinizing each and every doorway that lined the hall.

Kazu, pointed at one door towards the end of the hall. Still keeping his lips firmly shut.

"Why not?" Kira shrugged. Kazu crept towards the door and turned the knob slowly. The door opened silently, on the other side was a spiral staircase leading down into the basement. They both shuddered wave of madness seemed to wash over the meister and weapon pair, leaving them with a feeling of uneasiness.

"Don't be a baby, Kazu!" Kira scolded, feeling Kazu beginning to shake with anxiety. "Now let's move! We have to be sure whoever or whatever's down here is causing our bat infestation!"

Kazu nodded slowly and began to sneak down each creaking stair. When the two reached the bottom, they heard voices up ahead.

"Stay still Kazu!" Kira ordered. Said meister froze as two doors down the hall, a tall woman with long, coarse blonde hair appeared, muttering to herself.

"Tonight's the big night," she mumbled to herself. "This is it-Loucura will be glad to hear this!" The woman rushed towards a room at the end of the long hall and ducked inside; in her haste, the door was left open.

"That must be our culprit!" Kira stated with hushed excitement. "Let's see what she's up to! Go peak through the door Kazu!"

Kazu nodded and tiptoed to the end of the hall, peaking in through the crack in the door.

They saw Tsubasa standing in front of a computer monitor, typing something on the keypad. The monitor blinked and switched on, revealing the image of a girl in her late teens. She was dressed as a harlequin with heavy white, black and red makeup caked on her face. A tiny top hat clung to her mop of fiery-red hair. She wore a black dress with puffy sleeves and a lacy collar. She appeared fit to be in a circus.

"Tonight's the night," Tsubasa spoke, grinning gleefully at the unusual girl. "Tonight's the night the DWMA falls! And when it does! Loucura will decorate me as a hero in the new era!"

Chernabog laughed a high-pitched, discordant squeal. "Hehehehehe! Tsubasa, Mistress Loucura got your test results! HEHEHE! She's very pleased and gives you her blessing to go forward with your attack tonight!"

Tsubasa nodded. "I won't let her down! My research with black blood has not been in vain. I've perfected a science that allows me to control the black blood inside the host!"

"HEHEHE! It's a wonderful thing you didn't kill that girl when you had the chance…she's proved to be a wonderful asset. HEEE! I hope your battle goes well tonight. Mistress Loucura will expect results in the morning, and she won't tolerate a failure."

"You and Loucura can rest easy. Failure is impossible, my plan is so flawless!"

"HEHEHEHE! Good luck, then!" Chernabog grinned as the feed was cut and the screen went dark.

A devilish smirk appeared on Tsubasa's face, and she turned to leave the room.

"Hide!" Kira ordered. Kazu ducked into a dark empty room behind them, keeping the door open slightly so he could peak out.

Tsubasa exited the room and moved down the hall, pulling a small shot out of her pocket, full of a strange, red, thick substance that resembled cough syrup.

"I think we've seen enough," Kira said. "Let's get back to the school now! We have to warn the others!"

Kazu nodded and bolted out of the room, immediately making his way up the stairs, out of the basement and through the window. Kira immediately changed into human form as they both rushed towards the DWMA.

* * *

_The last memory I have of anything before I lived with Tsubasa is fire. _

_I remember the scorching heat coming at me from every angle. I remember the white hot embers that flew into my eyes. I remember the brilliant red, orange, and yellow flames growing taller and taller. I remember the thick black smoke slowly surrounding me, suffocating me. I remember the cries and pleas for help that ripped from my throat. I remember my world slowly falling to eternal blackness as I lost consciousness. _

_When I woke up, I was still trapped in blackness. My eyes were wide open, I knew, and yet I saw nothing. At least, I couldn't see anything with my eyes. _

_Deep within me I felt my soul pulsing steadily. And with each pulse, I became more and more aware of where I was. Bit by bit I pieced together what my wavelength was trying to tell me. _

_I realized I was in a hospital room, alone, lying down on a bed with my arms and legs bandaged. They still burned, but not like they had before. _

_Suddenly a woman burst through the door, my soul pulsed again and I saw she was tall, with long unkempt hair and claw-like fingers. _

_"MINE! Darling!" she cried. I cringed-she spoke so loudly and my ears were only just getting used to noise again. The woman threw her arms around me. "Oh thank Death you're safe! I was so worried! The doctors told me you'll never see again! Baby, I should've helped you! I'm so sorry!" _

_"Wh-Who...are you?" I mumbled hoarsely. _

_"Sweetheart, don't you remember? I'm Tsubasa! I'm your mother!" Even with no eyesight, I could tell her smile was fake, plastered on her face with no real emotion. _

_Even then, I knew she wasn't my mother. _

_Every time she hugged me, I felt uneasy. Her smiles seemed synthetic, artificial. Everything about her seemed off to me, she was always dodging my questions. She always seemed on guard, perpetually looking over her shoulder. She didn't even look like me. I knew she wasn't my mother, but a part of me desperately wanted her to be, because I didn't want to be alone. _

_It was a mistake not speaking up—probably the worst of my life. From the moment the hospital released me, my hell on earth had begun. _

_Tsubasa took me to her home. The kind façade she had worn at the hospital quickly fell, and she showed me the true monster she was. She shoved me into a cell of a room in the basement, forced me to live there. _

_Everyday there was a new experiment she needed me for…or, rather, she needed my blood for. _

_Having no memory of what happened before the fire, I was surprised to learn that some of the blood in my body wasn't red, but black. It could scab faster and even harden to a degree if I willed it to. _

_That blood is what Tsubasa needed. She'd cut me, give me injections of strange liquids, and then filled test tubes with my blood. Day in and day out that was my life. Nothing but a useless lab-rat. _

_Useless. Powerless. Weak._

* * *

"Mine!" Tsubasa called as she approached the girl's room, waking Mine from her nightmare. "Wake up, honey! Mommy has something for you!"

"No..." Mine whispered, pleading. "No more shots...please..."

Tsubasa opened the door, a strange psychotic glint in her eye, a dreaded needle in her right hand. "Hold out your arm, darling."

Mine shook her head. "P-Please...mom, no more needles! I'll do anything! Please!"

Tsubasa approached the cot Mine was lying on and slapped her, hard. "Don't you dare speak to your mother in that fashion you pathetic brat! NOW HOLD OUT YOUR ARM!"

Mine chewed on her lower lip and held out her arm, shutting her eyes tightly so she wouldn't see the needle pierce her skin.

Tsubasa drove the needle into her arm and injected the strange liquid within. Mine felt her whole arm go numb, and her body began trembling beyond her ability to control it.

Tsubasa removed the needle and lifted Mine's chin. "Open your eyes! Now!" Mine reluctantly obeyed, and in response Tsubasa squealed, "THEY'RE GREEN!" Tsubasa let Mine's face drop. "Let's see if it does what it's supposed to."

She snapped her fingers and Mine felt as though her whole body had been tied up with strings, as though she were an marionette puppet. "Stand," Tsubasa ordered.

Mine felt the invisible strings pulling her up as she was forced to stand. Tsubasa pulled out a scalpel and lunged at Mine, ordering, "Block my attack."

Mine felt the strings pull her hand in front of Tsubasa's assault. The scalpel passed clean through her palm, and the wound began gushing black. Tsubasa withdrew her blade and Mine's wound closed up.

Tsubasa laughed. "Beautiful! Everything's finally coming together!"

"Wh-What did you do to me?" Mine asked, staring at her hand.

"I now control every ounce of black blood in your body...every bit of you." Tsubasa beamed. "Now let's prepare to leave, we have a long battle ahead of us."

Tsubasa pointed towards the door and Mine felt the strings lead her out against her will.

* * *

Kazu and Kira didn't stop running until they reached the school. They rushed through the halls, which were nearly empty save for the night-class students in their classrooms, and rushed straight to the Death Room.

Kid and Soul, who were chatting together in the Death Room, turned to see the two rushing towards them like bats out of hell. "I take it you two found something big?" Kid asked.

"A-A witch," Kira panted, "is behind all of this! She's in charge of the bat creatures…she created them! We overheard her talking about black blood research."

"Black blood?" Soul ears perked. "What else did she say?"

"S-Something about her perfecting research to control black blood inside a host!" Kira continued.

"Did she say who the host was?" Soul shouted, his gaze intense.

"No name...it's a girl though!"

Soul turned to Kid. "Kid...you don't think it could be-?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Soul. It might not be her."

"That's not all, Daddy!" Kazu spoke, after finally catching his breath. "She's going to attack the school! Tonight!"

"Soul, assemble the teachers and call the students. We need every able weapon and meister pair to defend this school."

"I'm on it!" Soul said, rushing out of the room.

"Let's hope it's not too late to protect this school."

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _Battle of the Souls, Showdown at the DWMA [Part 2] _

* * *

Me: Wanna find out what happens next as fast as possible? FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW! The more people do that, the faster I get things done, and that means less time of keeping you guys in suspense!

Onilee: SO GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASSES AND REVIEW THIS CRAP!

Me: STOP CALLING IT CRAP! ONILEE! THE READERS DECIDE IF IT'S CRAP OR NOT!

Onilee: I'm a reader!

Me: YOU'RE A FREAKING TROLL! *kicks off cliff*


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

Me: I AM A DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING! *sobs in emo corner*

Onilee: Quit being a baby.

Me: I HAD THIS DONE WEEKS AGO AND I DIDN'T POST IT! *sobs* I'm so sorry readers, this was such a tough chapter to write and the final editing after my grammar-nazi looked over it was a bitch! Then I went to DC for vacation and posting just kept being pushed back! You have every right to punish me for failing as a writer. I'll take it like a true woman, with grace and dignity.

Onilee: THEN QUIT SOBBING! YOU SOUND LIKE A DYING WALRUS!

Me: *wipes nose with sleeve* At least the chapter is long, hopefully that will make you hate me less. This was supposed to be a pretty intense chapter, but the problem with that is it's REALLY easy to make it cliché, and I'm sure I fell into some pitfalls along the way. If you have advice, tell me without flaming. Now, without any further wait that would cause you all to feed me to the lions, enjoy Chapter 5.

* * *

_Battle of the Souls, Showdown at the DWMA [Part 2]_

"Bing!" NS shouted enthusiastically as she approached the schoolyard. "Alright! Let's see how tough our enemies are when they handle us, Eri!"

"Let's not get too cocky, NS," Eri reminded his meister. "These are a lot more enemies than we're used to fighting, plus a witch!"

"That's the best part! With a witch in the mix, the battle's going to be a lot more fun!"

"'Fun' isn't the word I'd use..." Eri muttered nervously as they finally reached the school grounds. A large crowd of meisters and weapons had already gathered before the DWMA, standing resolute and ready for battle, prepared to put all that their school had taught them to use.

"C'mon! Let's get a place on the front lines! I don't wanna miss any of the action!" NS cheered as she rushed towards the group of defenders.

"NS! Can you please take this seriously?!" Eri called after her.

"I am taking this seriously!" NS objected.

"Oh, please, NS," a condescending voice from behind cut in. "When have you ever taken anything seriously?"

NS turned to see Kira standing there wearing a challenging smirk, Kazu right behind her.

"Kiraaa! Stop being so mean to NS!" Kazu whined.

"It's alright, Kazu," NS reassured. "We all know she's all bark and no bite."

"Oh, have you forgotten who found out about this attack on the school?!" Kira mocked. "That's right: me! Not you! Me!"

"Hey! I helped!" Kazu cried.

"Girls, can we please act civilized? A battle is about to happen!" Eri intervened, only to be ignored.

"Pfft! That just proves intel missions are all you're good for!" the ninja teased.

"Wanna bet?" Kira grinned demonically.

"Oh, you're so on!" NS responded.

"Okay, then let's see who can kill the most enemies during this battle! Loser gets up in front of the whole class and announces the winner is and always will be better than her!"

"It's a bet." NS nodded, shaking hands with Kira. "I'm bringing a camera when you announce I'm better than you!"

"Fat chance!" Kira growled.

"Girls!" Eri interrupted, desperately trying to turn attention back to the issue at hand. "Let's take this seriously! This is a battle in which the fate of the DWMA hangs in the balance. Not only are there going to be a ton of enemies, but a witch, too!"

"A witch? There's going to be a witch?"

The group turned to see a boy with bright emerald eyes and black, carefully styled hair.

"RYU!" Kazu squealed, happily charging for him and crushing him in a tight hug.

Ryu laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah…hey, Kazu."

"Kazu!" Kira shouted, rushing forward to pry Kazu off Ryu. "What have I told you about hugging people in public?!"

"That I shouldn't do it," Kazu admitted sheepishly after Kira had pulled him off.

"It's alright, Kazu," Ryu sighed. "Anyway, I heard that someone was planning to attack the school, but I didn't hear anything about a witch."

"Yeah, she's a real nut-job, too." Kira explained, "I was on the intel mission to figure out about the attack. She was babbling on and on about black blood and power."

"Sh-She was really scary." Kazu shook and stuttered.

"Quit being a baby!" his twin accused.

"Witch or no witch, I'm still gonna win the bet! There's no way a descendant of the Star Clan can lose!" NS proclaimed. Kira merely rolled her eyes.

"THEY'RE COMING!" The voice of one of the other students shouted over the crowd. Everyone turned expectantly to the gate to see a huge mass in the distance, moving closer and closer by the second.

"Eri, get ready," NS ordered. Eri nodded in response and transformed into several knives. NS clutched each kunai in her hand and smiled.

"Man up!" Kira shouted at a trembling Kazu as she transformed into her katana form. The petrified meister grabbed her hilt and held it out to the oncoming killers. Kazu noticed that Ryu was standing alone.

"What about your meister, Ryu?" Kazu questioned.

Ryu shrugged. "She's...a bit busy at the moment," he said vaguely.

Before Kazu could reply, a loud howl of bat-beasts resonated in the night, sending chills down the backs of each and every fighter. The enemies were almost upon the school, the eyes of the attacking creatures finally visible to the front line.

"May the best warrior win." Kira smirked.

"I plan to," NS retorted as the foes began their charge towards them, shrieking horribly at the top of their lungs.

The small army of meisters and weapons cried out in return and charged to meet them.

The showdown at the DWMA had begun.

* * *

Tsubasa trailed behind her troupe of evil Kishin, laughing maniacally all the while. She turned to Mine, who had been unintentionally keeping step with her and fighting the control over her body the whole way. Though her irises had changed from their normal, milky white to a forest green, she could still see nothing in front of her; only her soul's steady pulse allowed her to see where she was going, and knowing this only made her struggle harder to break the power Tsubasa had over her.

"It's no use being defiant, sweetheart," the witch reminded. "You won't be able to break the spell I put on you. You might as well just accept the fact that you're going to be my little puppet!"

"No!" Mine yelled. "I won't let you do this! I'll fight it to the end!"

Tsubasa laughed even louder. "You can't fight me, let alone beat me! I've already won! In just a short time, I will have overrun the DWMA! And once it's gone, nothing will be able to stop the madness from spreading throughout the world!"

Mine gritted her teeth and glared at Tsubasa. 'I can't let her win! If she does this, then I'll have lost everything I still have!'

"Now..." Tsubasa chuckled as she snapped her fingers, causing Mine to freeze in her tracks. She handed the girl a scalpel from her pocket. "Cut your arm and harden the blood. Then form it into a blade."

Mine did not even feel connected to her own body anymore. Her fingers followed Tsubasa's orders and slit her right arm without hesitation. Mine teared up at the searing pain, but refused to give Tsubasa the satisfaction of a sob. Blackness flowed from the wound, and Mine felt it harden. The dark fluid molded itself into a long, sharp blade running along her arm.

"Good girl," Tsubasa praised. "We're approaching the gate…the minute you step through it, you will attack anyone you see who doesn't have one of my creatures already occupying them!"

Mine's bladed arm held itself up in attack position. 'I have to fight this!' Mine thought as she willed her hand to return to her side. It refused to move even an inch. The entrance was rapidly approaching, and Mine knew that the moment she crossed the threshold into the school grounds, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from hurting-even killing-someone. She tried focusing what little energy she had on stopping her feet, which relentlessly continued moving one in front of the other. 'I won't listen! I won't let her win!'

But her body still stubbornly refused to obey her, moving closer and closer to the sound of screams and the scent of death coming from the schoolyard.

"Don't hold back, darling," Tsubasa cooed sinisterly, as they stepped onto school grounds.

The battle had begun minutes before they had arrived, and Mine was horrified to see that already everything was a mess of crimson and clashing metal. Bodies of fallen meisters, weapons, and Kishin were scattered about. The scent of death was heavy in the air. The shouts and screams of those still alive echoed in the otherwise silent night. The battle so far seemed to be a stalemate, neither side winning or losing. But the Kishins far outnumbered those protecting the school, and it was beginning to look grim for the DWMA.

Mine was forced to scan the bloody battlefield for someone who wasn't fighting, someone she could take on. She prayed desperately that she'd see no one. And for a moment she did not.

…That was until one person rose from out of the crowd. He had just managed to slay the bat he was battling and was attempting to get out of the thick of the battle, into a clearing where he could regain his bearings. His blue dress shirt was stained with red, and he was panting from exhaustion. Mine's eyes widened as she got a good look at his face. It was Ryu.

"No," she whispered, feeling her body rush towards him, arm poised to slice through his body. "No, no, anyone but him." She tried again to stop, pleading with an unseen force that she could stop. Yet, deep down she couldn't stop her body, no matter how hard she tried, but she could still warn him. "RYU! RUN!" she shouted.

Ryu turned in her direction, recognizing her voice. "Mine? Is that you?!" His face lit up for a split second, realizing that his meister had arrived, but fell immediately when he saw she was rushing towards him, ready to kill. "MINE?!"

He narrowly missed her first attack. "Run!" she pleaded again. "I can't control my body! I can't stop myself from killing you!" Her blade swung towards him again. He turned his own arm into a scythe and used it to block her strike.

"What the hell going on?!" he demanded, countering a series of her attacks, all aimed at his vital organs.

"Ts-Tsubasa!" Mine screamed over the sound of warfare. "She's a witch, Ryu! She d-did something to m-me, and n-now I can't control my b-body! She o-ordered me to do this!"

"That bitch!" Ryu roared, pushing Mine back to buy him some time to regain himself.

"Sh-She injected me with some potion! Now I-I have to do everything she tells me! Just run! I can't stop myself!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Ryu declared, standing his ground, refusing to move an inch.

"Ryu!" Mine cried, charging towards him. "If you don't run then I'll kill you! My body won't let up until I do!"

"I'm your weapon Mine! I'm not going to abandon the best meister I've ever had!"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" she shrieked as she aimed a blow at his head.

"Sorry about this!" Ryu replied, and before Mine could react, he punched her in her stomach, sending a blast of energy through her body.

Mine screeched in pain and went flying backwards, while the blood-blade on her arm liquefied and splashed on the ground in an ebony puddle. She pressed her hand against her chest in an attempt to ease her pain. Then, clenching her other hand into a fist, she realized with surprise she had control of her body again.

"Mine!" Ryu ran to her side and helped her up.

"What...what did you do?" Mine asked, holding her arm up to her eyes.

"You're not the only one with cool soul abilities." Ryu winked, and transformed into a scythe. "Well, now that I have my meister back, let's kick some bat-Kishin ass!"

Mine smiled. "Let's do it!"

"Not so fast!" a shrill voiced interrupted.

Mine turned to see Tsubasa, whose eyes were burning with anger when she saw that Mine's had turned back into their pale and clouded color.

"You little bastard!" she growled, approaching the two. "You stupid, no-good weapon! You ruined everything! You destroyed three years of research!" Tsubasa pulled another syringe out of her pocket, filled with the syrupy liquid. "But I won't be beaten so easily!" She lunged at Mine, attempting to inject her again.

"NO!" Mine yelled, using Ryu's hilt to knock the needle out of Tsubasa's hand and into midst of battle, where it was crushed under the boot of one of the students.

"Why you insolent little-!" Tsubasa began.

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Mine commanded. "I won't be a pawn in your game anymore! You have no more power over me, and it's going to stay that way!" She assumed a fighting stance and clutched Ryu tightly. "I WON'T BE USED ANYMORE!"

With that, she shot towards Tsubasa like a rocket, a fire ignited in her eyes that had not been there since before the accident. Tsubasa was too shocked to act quickly enough, and her arm was sliced by Ryu's blade.

She howled in pain. "You stupid brat! I was going to let you live, but now I guess I'll just have to slaughter you like the pig you are!" Her hands began to glow an eerie purple color.

Before Mine could react, Tsubasa struck a devastating blow to her shoulder. The meister was pushed back a few feet and doubled over in pain.

"Mine? Are you alright?!" Ryu questioned worriedly.

Mine nodded stiffly. "Just a scratch…I'm not going to let one little sissy punch stop me!" Tsubasa raced towards them a second time, taking aim at Mine's chest.

Mine managed to block the attack, and nearly screamed at the agony that ripped through her shoulder where Tsubasa had struck her. 'That's not good!'

"You've already started to feel it, haven't you?" Tsubasa observed, pushing harder against Ryu's blade in an attempt to shove it away. "The pain will get worse and worse-the more you move, the more it spreads!" She laughed, successfully shoving Ryu to the side and aiming another punch at Mine's other shoulder.

Mine dodged the attack and began to retreat as Tsubasa began to throw jab after jab towards Mine.

'This is bad!' she thought. 'I can't keep dodging forever! I have to do something! Even if it hurts, I will never let her win! Not again!'

Going against every pain receptor in her body begging her not to budge, Mine gripped Ryu's staff and swung at Tsubasa's outstretched, glowing fist. The blade sliced through Tsubasa's arm just above her wrist, sending her hand flying out into the battle that surrounded them. Tsubasa let out a blood-curdling screech and covered her stump of a hand, attempting to stunt the flow of blood. Refusing to let this small window of opportunity slip away, Mine swept Ryu's blade across the ground, aiming at Tsubasa's feet.

Tsubasa was too quick, though. She leapt into the air as the metal narrowly missed her ankles, and landed on top of Ryu's blade.

"Get off of me!" Ryu yelled as Tsubasa cackled. Mine tried in vain to pull her scythe out, but Tsubasa refused to relent.

"You think cutting off my hand will stop me? You really are a stupid little brat!" Tsubasa kicked Mine square in the stomach, forcing her to relinquish her hold on her weapon. Tsubasa scooped Ryu up and tossed him into the battle.

Ryu landed with a loud clank and surrounded by bat Kishin, who were tearing into his comrades. Over the shrieks he heard a bombastic shout: "That's number 26! Beat that, Daddy's Girl!"

"I'm at 31! You better move fast you blue-haired freak!"

"Dammit! I refuse to lose! Bing!"

Ignoring their argument, Ryu transformed back into his human form. "MINE!" he called, trying to work his way through the seemingly endless wall of enemies and students. 'I can't leave her alone!' he thought. "She doesn't stand a chance facing that witch by herself!'

* * *

"RYU! NO!" Mine cried as she saw her best friend fly directly into the battle.

"What's the matter?" Tsubasa teased. "Can't fight without your precious weapon?"

Mine turned to Tsubasa, a certain fierceness in her eyes. "Weapon or no weapon, I'll fight you with everything I have to the bitter end!"

Tsubasa grinned, madness seeming to circle around her very being like a dark aura. "Then to the bitter end it is, my dear!" She snapped her fingers, and instantly Mine felt a strong wall of opaque energy enclosing her and Tsubasa, rising high into the sky and meeting above them in a dome-like shape.

Mine dashed to the wall and felt it with her hands, only to find that it was solid. She threw all her weight against it in a futile attempt to escape, but it quickly became evident that it wouldn't break.

"Give up!" Tsubasa barked. "You can't leave, and no one can get in to save you. No one can hear your screams. No one can comfort you in your last moments. It's just you and me now."

Mine took a deep breath and pivoted her body to face Tsubasa. 'This is it, huh?' she pondered. 'This is do-or-die.' On instinct she raced toward Tsubasa and bellowed, "If this is the end for me, then I'm going out with a bang!"

Fighting through the blinding pain that had spread throughout her body, she bashed Tsubasa across the cheek, throwing everything she had into that single punch.

Tsubasa grunted in pain and spat out blood, "I guess it's my move now." Her fingernails began to elongate become claws. Bat-like wings laced with spidery veins shot out from her back. Her teeth sharpened into fangs, and her whole body became covered in thick, coarse fur the color of her hair. She had turned into a monster.

"You're much more trouble than you're worth! I should've let my fire kill you four years ago! I shouldn't have bothered rescuing you!"

Mine's eyes widened in shock and she froze, her feet rooted to the spot. A chill ran down her spine as memories came flashing back of that night. "It was you?! Y-You stole everything from me!"

"Well, since you're about to die anyway, I suppose I can tell you. I started the fire that took away your sight and your memories. I saved you from the burning house and raised you as my own. And your pathetic parents didn't even bother to find you!" Tsubasa slashed a stunned Mine across the chest. The claws ripped through her flesh, tearing through blood vessels like paper.

Mine fell to her knees, screaming. Scarlet gushed from her wound and refused to slow.

Tsubasa leisurely walked towards Mine, preparing the final strike. "I guess this is the end, my sweet little girl."

'No! No! It can't end like this! I have to fight!" Even as she thought this, she felt dizziness overcome her. "But…I can't...everything hurts. I can't stop the blood! Why couldn't it have been black?! Why wasn't it black the one time it needed to be?!"

_It doesn't have to end like this you know__,_ A voiced echoed in Mine's head.

'What? Who are you?'

_There will be time for that later. Right now, I can give you something you need. _

'Wha-What I need?'

_Yes. I can give you access to the dark half of your soul._

'Dark half?'

_The part from which your black blood comes. It can give you immeasurable power._

'Enough to beat Tsubasa?'

_More than enough. All you have to do is trust me._

"I...I trust you..." Mine whispered, though she hadn't the slightest idea what she was pledging herself to, closing her eyes as Tsubasa raised her claws high above her head, preparing to slice through her.

At that moment, Mine felt a surge of strength course through her limbs. Her soul seemed to grow inside her chest and fill her entire body. There was no pain, there was no fear…for a brief time, there was nothing.

Then that nothing was quickly filled with bloodlust.

Just as Tsubasa's claw came down upon her, Mine blocked the attack with her arm, which had transformed into a red and black scythe blade.

Had Mine been fully aware of what was happening, she would have been surprised that her arm could change into a weapon, but now, she didn't question it. She acted on it. Using her blade, she tore through Tsubasa's hand, shredding it.

Tsubasa screeched in anguish. "What the-?!"

Mine stood and giggled with an insane form of cheer, looking up at Tsubasa, who stared in terror at Mine's eyes: one had turned olive green, the other a blood-red. "Oh, I'm not done yet, you pathetic excuse for a witch!"

Tsubasa growled and tried biting Mine with her sharp fangs. Mine blocked her with her scythe-arm, which only made her giggle more.

Tsubasa stumbled back, her head dripping with blood. "Y-You little-!"

"Shut up!" Mine shouted as she hacked at Tsubasa's legs.

Tsubasa flapped her wings and flew into the air, attempting to avoid Mine's attacks.

"Don't think you can avoid me so easily!" Mine called. She felt something stir deep within her soul, and flutter like the feathers of a trapped bird. The feeling grew until she could feel the wings of her soul break out of her body. One was covered in white down like an angel's, while the other was a steely black and red, almost as though it were made of scythes themselves. Unfazed, she flew after Tsubasa, throwing her to the ground.

Mine raises her bladed hand. "This is for the four years of my life you stole!" With that, she cleaved through Tsubasa's throat and silenced her forever.

The last thing Mine saw before everything went black was Tsubasa's soul.

Ryu was pounding on the dome mercilessly, ignoring the insanity of the battle surrounding him. "Dammit! Mine you better not be dead! I won't forgive you if you die on me!"

Suddenly, hundreds of ear-shattering screams filled the air. Ryu whipped around to see the bat-Kishin fading away until nothing was left but their souls.

'She did it!' Ryu realized. 'She beat Tsubasa!' Ryu felt the dome give way behind him, and turned around to see it fading. He rushed through without even thinking.

Behind the dome, a purple witch's soul was floating in front of an unconscious Mine, who was lying face-down in a pool of blood.

"Mine!" he screamed, dashing to his meister's side. He turned her over to see the gash across her chest, still oozing blood. "No...no!" He pressed his hands desperately against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"C'mon, c'mon! Stay with me, Mine!" He begged, pressing harder. He then heard the voice of someone behind him.

"Ryu! Can you believe we...Ryu?" It was Kira. "Ryu, what happened?!"

"Get help!" Ryu ordered. "I can't stop the bleeding! Mine needs help!"

Kira was stunned for a moment, and then nodded, seeing the girl she supposed was Mine getting paler and paler by the second. She dashed through the crowd, brushing past everyone who tried to congratulate her, and made a beeline for Kid and Soul.

"Kid! Soul! We need help!"

"Help?" Kid responded, "What's going on?"

"Th-There's a girl!" Kira panted. "Her name's Mine and she's bleeding out fast! Ryu's trying to stop it, but it's not working!"

Soul went rigid, and muttered, "Mine..." He grabbed Kira by the shoulders. "Where?! Where are they?!"

"They're by the gate!"

Soul turned to Kid as he raced towards the gate. "Get Stein! We're taking her to the infirmary!"

"Right!" Kid quickly made his way towards the school.

'Mine...Mine,' Soul thought. 'Kira said Mine. But, it can't be. Please...please tell me that that's not my baby bleeding out!'

He finally made it to the gate and saw Ryu, crouched over a petite girl with platinum blonde hair, in a pool of her own blood. "No...it is her..." he whispered.

Ryu looked up and shouted, "Soul! You have to help me!"

Soul broke from his daze and scooped Mine from the ground, clutching her tightly. "Come on! Stein's waiting in the infirmary!"

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _Remembrance of a Sleeping Soul_

* * *

Me: *phew* It's done. Was it worth the wait guys? I'd love to know! And I'd love it if more people favorited and followed this story! You guys have been GREAT with reviews and I'm happy. But I'd like to see some more support! So tell your friends about this if they like Soul Eater! GO FORTH AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you do, there's virtual cookies and cake and hot chocolate at the end of that rainbow!

Onilee: MINE!

Me: *throws Onilee in a cage* FOR THE READERS!

Onilee: You can cage my body, but you'll never cage my spirit! I WILL ANNOY THE HELL OUT OF YOU FROM THIS SPOT! BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH BLAHBLAHBLAH!

Me: May God help us all...until next time: FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW PLEASE!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Me: I'M BACK! And I didn't make you guys wait for over a month this time! So, I'M NOT A TOTAL FAILURE!

Onilee: Don't get your hopes up. You're still a failure in my eyes.

Me: *rolls eyes* I left you guys off on a bit of a cliffhanger the last time! So, I hope you guys are itching for more! This chapter should hopefully scratch that itch. And again, I'm not a master writer, and I wrote this when I was half asleep, so you'll have to forgive me if parts are either clichéd or just plain suck. If you have any suggestions, let me know, blah blah blah...ENJOY CHAPTER 6~!

* * *

_Remembrance of a Sleeping Soul_

Soul and Ryu dashed inside the school, Soul still cradling Mine tightly in his arms, an ominous trail of ebony and scarlet-colored blood, dripping behind them. Just as Mine's warmth was beginning to fade, they reached the Infirmary where Naigus and Stein were waiting.

"How much blood has she lost?!" Stein demanded as Soul handed Mine over to Naigus.

"A-A lot!" Ryu stammered. "It was pooling around her when I found her!"

"Naigus, we need a transfusion, now!" Stein ordered. "What's her blood type?!

"I-I don't know!" Ryu nearly shouted, running his fingers anxiously through his hair.

"AB positive!" Soul answered quickly, his panic audible in his tone. Ryu immediately turned to Soul, wondering how he would even know Mine's blood type, but didn't bother questioning it. Stein nodded and headed inside the room, Soul and Ryu followed.

Mine was lying on a hospital bed, blood still oozing from the gash. Naigus had begun to cut the meister's clothes off, trying to better get at the wound. "Stein! We need to clamp it shut…she may have nicked an artery!" She grabbed thick gauze from the table and tried to slow the flow of blood.

"Ryu, you need to wait outside!"

"But, that's my meister! I-!"

"Sorry, Ryu, but this isn't up for debate!" Stein replied harshly, practically shoving the boy out the door. "Soul, that goes for you too. You don't want to see this." With that, he drew the curtains around Mine's bed, cutting off their view.

"Professor Stein!" Ryu called before he felt Soul's hand on his shoulder. Ryu turned to look at him, and was taken aback when he realized his teacher was taking this tragedy much harder than he was. The elder scythe's teeth were gritted, his free hand was clenched, and his eyes were hidden beneath his snowy white bangs.

"He's right," he croaked, his voiced pained. "We can't bother them while they're working on her." He turned and led Ryu out, shutting the door behind them.

There was a long pause before either of them even moved.

"FUCK!" Soul shouted, punching the nearest wall with all his might. "This can't be happening!"

Ryu stared at his teacher with growing confusion. "Soul?" He questioned, remembering how much Soul hated being called 'mister'. "Do you know Mine?"

Soul chuckled humorlessly. "Know her?" He brushed his bangs out of his face, and Ryu could clearly see the anger, sadness, and what even appeared to be guilt in his red eyes. "…She's my daughter."

The silence that followed hung heavy with Soul's statement. Ryu's mind began racing. Soul was Mine's father? How was this even possible? He was in Death City this whole time? What if I'd spoken up about her? Would she have been saved? Why didn't HE find her sooner?

A million questions rattling in his mind, but only one was voiced: "Huh?"

Soul nodded, his form slumped and dejected. "Yeah…that's my little girl in there."

"You're serious?!"

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Ryu."

Ryu stared at the floor, still processing the situation. "Where's her mom, then?"

"In Europe, looking for her, actually."

"Europe? Why Europe?"

"It's a long story." Soul leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. "You said she's your meister, right?"

"Yeah, she is." It dawned on him what Soul was hinting at. "I swear if I knew she was your daughter, I would've told you! She doesn't even know who her real parents are!"

"She doesn't remember?" Soul asked, taken aback.

"No, she has no memory of anything except the last four years. She said that her accident gave her amnesia, and made her blind."

"She's blind?!" Soul exclaimed. "Then, how could she have fought?"

"I don't quite know the answer to that one. It has something to do with Soul Perception. That's all I know."

Soul turned his head away from Ryu. "Shit," He mumbled. "Where was she?"

"About two blocks from Death Square Park," he answered a little too quickly.

Soul whipped his head around. "She was that close this whole time?!"

Ryu nodded. "That witch who orchestrated this whole attack claimed to be her mom." He then added, almost accusingly, "She abused her too. Mine sometimes had a black eyes and bruises up and down her arms when I saw her."

Soul's eyes widened. "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!" He punched the wall again, this time leaving a hole. "That damned witch! If I'd known, I would've killed her with my bare hands!"

"Well, Mine took care of that for you!" Ryu grumbled angrily.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Didn't you notice the witch's soul floating in front of Mine? I wasn't with her when she did that. Mine killed that witch on her own!"

Soul looked at Ryu, dumbstruck. "H-how did she-?!"

"I don't know," Ryu admitted. "Hopefully she'll remember when she wakes up."

Soul nodded slightly in reply. "Well, I guess I should call Maka about this and tell her to come home."

"Your wife?" Ryu inquired, Soul nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

He dialed the number and held it to his ear. The volume was loud enough for Ryu to listen in on their conversation.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered.

"Hey Maka…it's me."

"Soul? What are you doing calling at this hour? Isn't it past midnight in Death City?"

"Yeah, it is. But this is really important!"

"Soul, can't it wait? I'm following a big lead here! I'm closer than ever to finding her and I don't need you interrupting my sear-!"

"She's here."

There was a loud clang on the other end, as though the phone had been dropped. There was some rustling, then an answer.

"What did you just say?"

"Mine's here…in Death City, Maka."

"Sh-She's there?! She was there this whole time?"

"She was."

Another brief pause.

"SOUL, YOU IDIOT!" Soul flinched, pulling the phone away from his ear as Maka began to scream at him. "SHE WAS THERE THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO LOOK?! I SWEAR WHEN I GET OVER THERE I'M TAKING THE BIGGEST, FATTEST, HARDEST BOOK I CAN FIND AND SLAMMING IT INTO YOUR SKULL!"

The line went dead after that. Soul put his phone back in his pocket, "She'll be here by tomorrow morning," he told Ryu.

"She sounded pissed," Ryu noted, stating the very obvious.

"Trust me…it'll get a lot uglier when she gets her hands on me and a book. By the time she's through with me, I'm going to be the one on that operating table." He chuckled, still unsmiling. "I guess I deserve it though. I screwed up royally."

"That's a bit of an understatement." Ryu rolled his eyes.

"I know." Soul sighed, tilting his head against the wall and staring at the ceiling. "Believe me. I know."

It seemed like an eternity before Stein at last opened the Infirmary door and turned to the two. "I have good news and bad news. The good news: We managed to stop the bleeding and sew up her wound. She'll need a transfusion or two, but she'll live." Both weapons sighed in relief.

"And the bad news?" Ryu asked nervously.

"She's currently in a coma, and we have no indication of when, if ever, she'll wake up."

"Dammit." Soul growled frustratedly. "This just can't be happening right now."

"That's not all the bad news, I'm afraid."

"There's more?!" Ryu asked, exasperated.

"Sadly, yes. Not only did her body take an extreme amount of trauma during the fight, but her soul did, too. Somebody injected her with a strange substance, we don't know exactly what it is, but we do know that it wreaked havoc inside her soul. Her wavelength's been thrown entirely out of whack and her body is trying desperately to adjust."

"Is there anything you can do?" Soul interrogated.

Stein shook his head. "Just hope her body knows how to fix itself. Naigus is in there cleaning her up. She'll call you in when you can see her."

"Thanks, Professor Stein." Ryu smiled slightly.

Soon, Naigus allowed them to come in and see Mine. She was lying on a bed at the far end of the infirmary. Her old clothes had been thrown away, too damaged for further use, and she'd been given a creamy-colored hospital gown to wear instead. The color had been drained almost completely from her face, and her cheeks were sunken ever so slightly, giving her a ghastly look. Her arms were bandaged and folded neatly across her chest, and a cold sweat coated her body in a thin layer. She was attached to an IV in her left arm, and a monitor beeped with the slow but thankfully steady pulse of her heart.

Ryu couldn't stand to look at her for too long; this person lying on the bed wasn't his meister. She wasn't the same know-it-all, stubborn, confident, occasionally even annoying partner he'd known for three years. This was merely an empty shell that vaguely resembled her.

Soul didn't seem to be taking it any easier. He was gripping the edge of the bed tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Mine..." he whispered. "Please, forgive me. I'm so sorry…I let this happen to you." He brushed a few strands of platinum blonde hair from her sweaty face.

Ryu pulled up two chairs, motioning Soul towards one. "Looks like we'll be here a while."

They both sat around Mine's bed, watching her intently for the rest of the night.

* * *

Ryu had caught himself nodding off for the third time in ten minutes, but he wouldn't let himself fall asleep. He had to be awake when Mine woke up, he had to be there for her.

He looked at the clock on the small table next to Mine's bed. It was eight o' clock in the morning. He'd been up for over seven hours.

'Class is starting soon,' He thought tiredly to himself. 'There's no way I'm going today, though, not when Mine's comatose in the infirmary!'

He was jolted out of his groggy blur by the sound of Soul's ring tone. Soul, who had sprung awake due to the vibrating in his lap, grabbed the phone and flipped it open. He yawned. "Hello?"

"I'm walking up to the school right now," came the caller's voice, who Ryu recognized as Maka's. "And I have The Complete Works of Shakespeare in my hand. Right now."

She hung up promptly after that.

"…She really plans on murdering me," Soul commented to know one in particular.

Soon enough, the sounds of loud strides and angry mutterings were heard coming down the hall.

The footsteps stopped at the door, and Maka flew open the door, her green eyes alight with the kind of fury only an enraged mother can possess. In the years since she'd graduated from the DWMA, she'd matured: Her hair was now swept back in a low ponytail and she'd grown slightly taller. But the biggest difference by far had to have been her new C-cup bust-she had finally hit the puberty thing home around age 18.

Maka raised a thick, hardcover book over her head, and Soul instinctively raised up his hands to defend himself. "Maka! Wait! Just let me expla-!"

"SOUL, YOU MORON!" she screeched, smashing the book into his head with a deafening _smack_. The force of the blow caused Soul to tumble onto the linoleum flooring. He was instantly knocked out cold.

Ryu had to bite back laughter at the sight. 'Karma's a real bitch!' he thought.

Maka turned her attention to Ryu. "I'm sorry…I don't believe we've met."

"Oh, I'm Ryu," He held out his hand for her to shake. "Mine's partner."

"Mine has a partner?"

"It's a long story," Ryu chortled.

"Well, I have all the time in the world, so I'd love to hear it sometime." She gazed at Mine, who hadn't moved an inch since the previous night. "Mine..." she whispered, kneeling beside her bed. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I tried to find you. I've been looking in the wrong place this whole time." She kissed her brow. "I'll never let you out of my sight again! I promise!" She placed her hand over Mine's, trying to warm her chilled fingers.

"I'm actually a little curious as to what exactly happened. Mine has only told me as far as it was a fire or something, she can't remember much."

"She has amnesia?"

Ryu nodded and added, "She's blind too."

"Blind?!" Maka queried, her face twisted in shock.

"Accident took that too. She still says she can see though…something about Soul Perception or whatever."

"Oh my God…" Maka squeezed Mine's hands.

"Can you tell me ?"

Maka smiled sadly before beginning. "Well, if you're her weapon, you have a right to know. About four years ago, Soul and I got a call from the school about there being a large attack of demons on the other side of Death City. Mine was only ten at the time and we thought we could leave her alone while we took care of the problem. She woke up and asked us where we were going. Soul told her and promised we'd be right back. She went back to bed and we countered the attack."

Maka paused for a moment, taking in a shaky breath. "Then, in the middle of the battle there was this huge explosion…it didn't take long to learn that it'd come from our house. I knew something was really wrong, so we ran home to find our house engulfed in flames." A sob escaped her lips at the memory. "I ran in without thinking, knowing Mine was in bed and trapped, and I had to get her out. By some miracle, I managed to pass the smoke and fire to reach her room, but I found it empty. She wasn't there. I tried to search the other rooms, but it was suffocating in there. Soul eventually had to drag me out of there before we both died."

She hid her face in her hands, trying to collect herself. "When the flames were finally put out, I dreaded seeing an officer come to me, to tell me Mine was dead. What they told me was much worse: She was gone. There was no body, no trace of her anywhere. They told us the reason for the fire was that someone planted explosives strategically throughout our house. They ruled it arson."

She looked up at Ryu, locking eyes with him. "I figured out the bombs were made in Berlin, so that's where I went to look for her. I knew she was alive! I just had to find her."

"And she was here this whole time..." Ryu concluded.

"You can imagine how angry I am at Soul for not trying harder to find her." Maka kicked her husband's unmoving form to make a point. "What about her? What happened to her after that?"

"Well, I don't know the specifics. All I know is after the accident, Mine lost her sight and her memory. She was taken in by a witch, the very same witch that recently attacked this school. She was abused…sometimes when we saw each other she would have a black eye, and her arms were always covered in bruises."

Maka looked down at Mine and stroked the bandage that covered her arms. Ryu, seeing her remorse, quickly continued, "But last night, Mine killed that witch singlehandedly!"

Maka's ears perked up. "She did?!" Ryu nodded, and Maka broke out in a smile brimming with motherly pride. "That's my girl."

"I just really hope she wakes up soon," Ryu sighed.

"Me too, Ryu. Me too."

* * *

"How long have I been here?" Mine thought aloud. "How long have I been floating in this abyss?"

"A long time now," a voice answered, it was smooth, and reminded Mine of smoke billowing from a lite candle.

"Where am I?" Mine asked.

"Inside your own soul, of course."

"My soul?" The darkness began to clear, and Mine was able to see more clearly. She was looking out over the horizon. The sky above was clean and white as snow, almost blinding in its intensity. The water below was a deep midnight black, looking sickeningly similar to her black blood. Yet the area where the sky met the water was gray…a silvery, wispy gray that seemed to dominate the majority of this world. Mine looked out over the endless sky and sea, and felt something like a cool autumn breeze blowing in her face. She felt weightless as she was suspended in the air, feeling more peaceful than ever as the wind seemed to surround her.

"Pretty, isn't it?" The voice asked.

"It's...strange. Why does it look like this?"

"That's what a soul looks like when it's balancing two different worlds."

"I don't understand." Mine looked around. "Where are you anyway?"

"So many questions." The voice huffed disapprovingly. All at once there was a flash of bright, white light.

Mine shielded her eyes, and when the light faded she came face to face with the voice in her head.

It was an ogre, yet strangely she looked more human that normal. Her skin was black like the water below, yet her wore a white dress, her eyes were red and black horns jutted out of her choppy white hair. Though, it was her face that really made Mine jump, because she looked almost exactly like her.

"Who are you?"

"You can call me whatever you want. I'm a part of you, after all."

"You are?"

"Well, I'm more a part of your soul, actually. You can thank your father for me."

Mine shook her head-too many questions. She had to focus on the ones that mattered. "You were going to tell me why my soul looks so strange?"

"I was. Like I said, it's balancing two different worlds: dark and light, order and chaos, sanity and madness. Most souls can only be one way or the other at any given time. Yours is both at the same time, clashing the extremes of both worlds in one body. A Grigori Soul, and black blood. The two won't mix on their own, but your soul has adapted to accept both."

"Like Yin and Yang?"

"Similar, but Yin and Yang don't have shades of gray," the ogre pointed out.

"That's amazing! So you're saying I'm unstoppable?"

The ogre laughed. "Oh, not even close! If anything, it makes things more difficult for you."

"What do you mean?"

"I said that the two blend in your soul, but I didn't say they harmonize completely. Each side is constantly fighting for dominance. You have to be careful. While you can make the conscious decision to be insane at a moment's notice and unlock the powers that helped you kill Tsubasa, or be a calming force that can help suppress or even eradicate madness in yourself and in others, you can't be both at the same time. If your soul doesn't maintain a certain level of balance, then it could be disastrous for you…your body might even reject your soul."

Mine gulped. "S-so what can I do?"

"Find a way to maintain the balance between the two. Practice with both sides of the coin to train your body to be more accepting of one side for a longer time. And above all, be careful, you have to consciously make the effort, and it's easy to forget."

Mine nodded. "I understand."

"By the way, I'm not always going to help you out like this. You have to figure out some things for yourself…this is your soul, after all."

Mine laughed. "Yes it is."

"Good luck!" With that, the ogre disappeared, yet Mine remained, floating still.

She sighed heavily, and pressed her hands close to her chest, closing her eyes. She focused on the rhythm within her soul, connecting with the push and pull within it.

'I'm strong now.' She thought, 'I'm not the weak little girl who let Tsubasa kick me around. I never want to be that person again, I'll learn how to control this. And when I do, I'll be the greatest meister who ever lived.' She opened her eyes and looked straight ahead into the endless stretch of her soul.

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _Awakening of Lost Memories  
_

* * *

A/N

Me: Believe it or not, I wrote that ALL last night. In one several hour sitting. Remind me not to do that again, please?

Onilee: Next time I'll just inject you with caffeine! That should help!

Me: Anyway, you guys have been really supportive of this story and I love it every time I feel my phone buzz and I find out I got an email from this story! And I'd like to feel more of those buzzes! So review! And spread the word to your friends if you like it! The more reviews, favorites and follows I get, the sooner I get Chapter 7 up! You wanna see Mine and her parents reunited, DON'T YOU?!

Onilee: No they don't. Let's resurrect Tsubasa! THAT'D BE A TWIST!

Me: HELL NO! SHE WAS A PAIN IN THE ASS AND I'M GLAD SHE'S GONE! I have more interesting villains that her!

Onilee: I've looked through the file...you really don't.

Me: Just shut up! UNTIL NEXT TIME: FOLLOW, FAVORITE AND REVIEW~!

Me: Yup, this chapter was total backstory


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

Me: Hello everyone! Lucky you, only had to wait two weeks for the next chapter! Well, get used to it! I'm going to try to get into the habit of posting every other week!

Onilee: Don't get your hopes up people. If you've been paying attention, she's not very good about keeping her word.

Me: *Kicks Onilee in the back of the head* PHOENIX KICK!

Onilee: OW!

Me: Enjoy Chapter 7 my beloved readers!

* * *

_Awakening of Lost Memories_

Mine felt her body suddenly jerk forward shattering the calm she had felt inside her soul. The world around her faded to black and she felt her body shoot upwards as though she was being pulled by puppet strings wrapped around her whole body. Her blood felt as though it had hardened into lead, weighing her down. She was suffocating slowly. Her eyes were screwed shut, but something was nagging at her in the back of her head to open them. She tried, but it they seemed to be glued closed. She felt herself falling into a deeper kind of darkness, everything burned and she struggled to take even the tiniest breathe. The feeling that she must open her eyes, however, grew stronger and stronger until she was able to fight off the force keeping them closed.

At last she blinked, and found herself staring at a pure white ceiling. She sensed her soul pulsing in her chest, telling her what was in the room. Mine had finally awakened.

'What a weird dream,' she thought, her whole body throbbing. She closed her eyes and could still see the endless black sea, white sky, and gray mist stretched out before her. 'No, that wasn't a dream. That was real.' She shivered slightly at the idea.

She slowly sat up, cringing as a sharp pang shot through her chest. She clutched at the place where the pain was, trying to steady herself. Taking a deep breath, she examined the room around her. It reminded Mine of a hospital room, but with many more beds than there should have been, with hers being closest to the window. There was an IV in her arm, dripping fluids into her bloodstream. She tried not to dwell long on the needle wedged in her forearm. Warmth and sunshine was coming from the window-it had to been morning, then. On the table next to her were a few impressively thick books, some pill bottles, and a clipboard.

She gasped slightly as she realized that she wasn't alone in the room.

Ryu was by a window further away from her bed, hanging upside-down from the curtain rod, snoring at an obnoxiously loud level.

'Ugh, I can't believe he sleeps like that!' she growled inwardly. 'All that blood rushing to his head can't be good! And if he moves and falls, he'll crack his skull wide open! How stupid can you be?'

Mine then remembered the thick, hardcover books sitting on the table next to her. An idea formed in her head. It was time to teach that boy a lesson. She grabbed a sizable volume, and aimed it directly at Ryu's crotch. 'Blame yourself if your brains spill out of your thick skull!' She chucked the book at him, and quickly lay back on the pillow, pretending to still be asleep. A resounding thwack echoed throughout the room, followed by a shriek and a louder smash as Ryu lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Ryu lay on the floor, his hands on his crotch, trying to ease away the hurt. "God dammit!" he moaned. "Mine, what the-!" He looked up and saw that Mine was still seemingly out cold. "Oh...that's right." He sighed, "You couldn't have thrown that. Then who-?"

BAM! Right when he turned around, another book hit him in between the shoulder blades. "OUCH! What the hell?!" He turned around, to see that Mine was still asleep.

"Mine?" he questioned tentatively, inching towards her bed. "You awake?"

No answer.

"Of course you're not, I must be going crazy."

"You are if you think sleeping upside down is safe!" a voice rang out, and with it, came a barrage of books, pill bottles and clipboards pelting Ryu. "How much more idiotic can you get, makeup-wearing metro?!"

"OUCH! Shit! Quit it, Mine!" He paused, realizing in the midst of the onslaught what this meant. "Mine?! You're awake!"

"Of course I am!" Mine replied snidely, throwing her last book at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Mine, you've been in a coma for two weeks. No one's expected you to be up!"

Mine froze. "T-two weeks? What happened?"

"You don't remember anything?"

Mine pressed her palms to her forehead. "I-I remember getting sliced by Tsubasa…there was so much blood. Then...then...everything's so fuzzy!"

"Well, I'll tell you what happened! You killed Tsubasa!"

Her head shot up. "What?!"

Ryu nodded. "I don't know how you did it! But when the barrier faded, Tsubasa was dead! And we got the witch soul to prove it! Mind you, Lord Death took it away. He said we could have it when we get our ninety-nine Kishin Souls!"

"Woah, slow down a minute!" she demanded, overwhelmed. "You're going to fast! Why am I even here? Where IS here exactly?"

"You're in the DWMA infirmary," Ryu explained. "Tsubasa really did a number on you. There's a deep gash across your chest, and Professor Stein said she nicked your artery. You almost bled to death."

Mine looked down and examined her body thoroughly for the first time to see that her whole torso was wrapped in white bandages. She could see specks of blood still oozing through. She felt the stitches on her skin, holding the laceration together.

"O-Oh God..." she managed to choke out.

"You lost so much blood, you went into a coma. We've been in the infirmary for the past two weeks waiting for you to wake up."

"We?" Mine asked. "Who's 'we'?"

"Well, Professor Stein…he's one of the best teachers we have at school. There's Naigus, the school nurse. And…" Ryu paused for a moment, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "Mine! I completely forgot to tell you!"

"Tell me what?"

"Your parents are here!"

Mine's eyes widened, and her heart clenched. For a minute, she didn't—couldn't-believe what Ryu was saying. Her parents? Here? "M-My parents?" she squeaked.

Ryu nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I couldn't believe it either! You're mom is one of the most famous meisters to ever graduate from the academy, Maka Albarn Evans! She even used to teach here, up until 4 years ago."

"...After the accident..." Mine murmured.

Ryu, sensing Mine's distress, quickly added. "She said that she was looking for you. She followed a false lead and ended up traveling Europe looking for clues to find you!"

"She was...looking for me?" Ryu nodded. "For how long?"

"Ever since you left. She flew back to Death City the minute she heard that you were here."

Mine closed her eyes, trying to cope with the emotions that were assaulting her. There was someone out there who really did love her.

"What about my dad?"

"You're dad's the current Deathscythe, Soul Eater Evans! He's like the vice principle of the school and my mentor!"

Mine felt her blood run cold. "...He's...been at the school this whole time?" Ryu's smile faded as he nodded. "He was in Death City...all those four years, and he didn't once...LOOK FOR ME?!"

Ryu flinched and hastily added. "If it makes you feel any better, the minute your mom found out she beat the crap out of him with a big Shakespeare book!"

Mine wasn't listening. She was staring the foot of her bed, her knees tucked under her chin. 'He didn't even bother to look for me. He couldn't be bothered with the fact his daughter was missing and being tortured by a psychotic witch! All he had to do was look!' She felt as though someone had punched her in the gut and ripped out her heart. How could her own father abandon her like that?

If the two had been paying attention, they would've heard the thud of boots walking down the hall and stop at the infirmary door. They didn't even notice until it opened, and Maka waltzed in, carrying a bag of take-out. "Ryu, I got us a little breakfast from-." Maka didn't finish her sentence. The world stopped for her as she looked at her one and only daughter, awake and alive. It seemed like an eternity before Maka finally spoke up. "M-Mine?"

Mine felt unable to breathe. This was her. This was her real mom, and there wasn't even a shadow of doubt about it. Mine felt the calming aura that spilled from her mother's soul, like an ocean washing over her. It was such a familiar sensation she nearly burst out in loud sobs right there and then.

"M-mom?" she murmured, trying to swallow away the lump in her throat.

Maka dropped her bags and flung herself at Mine, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "Mine, it really is you." Her voice cracked and tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Mom..." Mine sobbed, wrapping her own arms around her mother and clinging to her for dear life. "I-I missed you so much!"

Maka stroked Mine's hair. "I missed you too. Oh God, I missed you so much!" Maka pulled back to get a good look at Mine's face. "Mine, sweetheart, I'm so sorry! I've been looking in all the wrong places for you! If I'd know I wouldn't have let any of this happen!"

"I-It's okay, mom," Mine whispered hoarsely. "You looked for me…that's all that matters."

Maka pulled her back into her embrace, refusing to let go. "It'll never happen again. I promise I'll never let you out of my sight again!"

Mine buried her face in Maka's shoulder and let out all the tears and sobs she'd been holding back. She didn't care how loud she was, or how she was smearing snot and tears on Maka's jacket. All that mattered was that she was home. After four years of waiting, she'd finally come home.

Ryu smiled at the two, backing up a bit to give them their space. It was nice to know he wouldn't have to worry about his meister coming to see him with another black eye. She didn't deserve that.

The peace was shattered as loud footsteps came stomping through the hall. Coming down from the high she had gotten from seeing her mother, Mine had a sinking feeling that she knew who it was.

She was right. Soul stopped in the open doorway and looked in. Mine peaked over Maka's shoulder to look at him. He was panting heavily, but smiled nonetheless. "Mine?"

"Go away," she said without hesitation, turning away from him.

Soul's face fell. He knew deep down that Mine would likely react this way when she woke up, but that still didn't lessen the blow when it came.

"Mine, I know you're mad at me right now and you have every right to be. But I'm honestly so, so sorry!" He took a step forward.

"Are you hard of hearing?" she quipped acidly. "I said go away!"

"Mine, I'm sorry. If you want me to say it a hundred more times I will. What I did was totally uncool and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't forgive me. But can I at least give you a hug?"

"What part of 'Go away!' do you not understand?!" Mine shouted, her calm crumbling, a lump rising in her throat. "You abandoned me! You didn't even bother to look for me! That witch used me as a guinea pig for four years and you couldn't be bothered with me!"

"Mine, just hear me out! I-!"

"Soul," Maka cut in, wanting to make sure Mine would become any more upset. "You should leave. Now is not the time for this. She's not ready to talk to you, and I can't say I blame her."

"Maka..."

Mine had had enough: She wanted her so-called father gone. "GET OUT ALREADY! I NEVER WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN!" she yelled, hot tears flowing down her cheeks.

Soul opened his mouth to continue, but a sharp look from Maka made him immediately close his lips. He sighed heavily, shoulders slumped, and turned to leave. He looked over his shoulders one last time. "I'm sorry…"

"LEAVE!" Mine wept, and Soul turned around, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Maka rubbed Mine's back, trying to calm her down from her state of hysterics. "H-How?" Mine bawled. "How c-could he do that to me?"

"It may have been a stupid move, but your father never meant to hurt you," Maka admitted.

"I still won't forgive him!"

"I don't expect you too right now. Take your time, and talk to him when you feel you have to."

'That'll be never if I can help it,' Mine thought bitterly.

"Look on the bright side!" Ryu cut in, trying to dispel the tension. "I mean, look at all the good that's happened: Tsubasa's dead, you're NOT dead, you've been reunited with your family, and you finally get to go to the DWMA!"

Mine perked up upon hearing the last one. "I really get to go to school here?"

"What's stopping you?" Ryu pointed out. "Oh, wait, let me answer that: Nothing!"

"Speaking of which," Maka said, "I should really talk to Kid. Now that Mine's back, I can start teaching here again."

"Maybe you'll even get to teach us!" Ryu joked.

Maka chuckled. "We'll see about that." She winked.

**_BAM!_**

The sound echoed in the room, causing the three to jump.

"What was that?" Ryu exclaimed.

"Something banged against the window," Maka realized. She stood up from Mine's bed and walked to the window, opening it up.

"Owwie!" a small, high voice whined. "Why don't you guys leave these things open! You know how hard it is for me to differentiate between glass and air!" A sleek, white cat hopped onto the sill, her golden eyes flickering in the sunlight.

"A cat?" Ryu wondered out loud.

Mine stared slack-jawed at the cat. "Why is the cat talking?" she wondered aloud.

The cat's ears perked up and she turned to Mine. "Mine!" she squealed as she jumped onto the bed, crawling onto Mine's lap. "I thought Soul was yanking my tail when he said you were here! But I just had to see for myself!" she rubbed her soft head against Mine's knee and purred.

Mine turned to her mom. "Why does the talking cat know me?"

The cat looked up at Mine, clearly hurt. "You don't remember me?" Her pointed ears drooped. "How could you forget me?"

"Don't take it too personally," Maka sighed. "She's lost her memory."

"What?!" The cat cried. "You really did forget me? Oh, that's so unfair! That means you forgot my favorite spot to be scratched!" The cat frowned and nuzzled back into Mine's lap.

Mine instinctively ran her fingers through the cat's soft fur. It wasn't particularly fluffy, but it was certainly warm. Mine found her fingers curling behind the right ear of the cat, scratching lightly.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The cat purred happily. "That's it! That's the spot!" She stretched in pleasure, claws protruding from her tiny paws.

Before Mine could even think, she blurted out, "Easy, Choko!"

Choko sat straight up at the sound of her name. "You do remember me! I knew you could never forget me!" Choko cheered excitedly, "Ever since the day you picked me out of the litter I knew we'd never forget each other!"

Mine blushed sheepishly, "Sorry, but I only remember your name." Choko's face fell.

"Then I guess I'll fill in the blanks." Maka sat next to the two. "When you were around 7, you said you wanted a pet. We had an old friend named Blair who was a magic cat, and she had just had kittens. She said that as long as you took good care of it, you could keep one of the kittens. And out of all the kittens who showed off all the magic ability they got from Blair, you picked up Choko."

Mine felt as though a fog was clearing in her head, and the day her mother was describing became clearer and clearer.

"I was really surprised!" Choko added. "All my brothers and sisters can change into humans and cast spells, all I can really do is talk."

Mine picked up Choko and snuggled with her. "I just wanted a kitten, not a fancy magic cat."

Choko snuggled back. "You said that all the time! I really did miss you a lot!"

Mine placed Choko next to her. "Well, I'm back now. And I'm here to stay!"

"Is that a promise?" Choko queried.

Mine put her hand on her chest, "Cross my heart and soul."

Choko mewed happily and snuggled closer to Mine, with intent to stay there for as long as possible. Just as Choko and Mine were about to get comfortable, a series of loud crashes and voices were heard from down the hall.

"WHERE. THE. HELL. IS. SHE?!" _**SLAM!**_

"NS! Calm down! Stein said she was in a coma, she's not going anywhere!"

"I haven't seen her in four years, Eri! I'm seeing her right now!" _**SLAM!**_"I still can't believe Stein waited this long to tell me!"

"You do realize he told us she was in the infirmary, right?"

"Yeah? So?"

"So why are you kicked down all these doors?"

"I'm excited. That's why."

_**SLAM! **_

The door to the infirmary burst off its hinges and hit the ground so hard the ground shook.

"Finally!" the blue-haired ninja cried in triumph.

Eri quickly followed in behind her. "So sorry about the doors!" He bowed slightly. "We'll fix them!"

"What are you guys doing here?" Ryu asked.

NS completely ignored him, directing all her spastic energy at the girl in the room. "MINE!" She rushed to her bedside, speaking faster than Mine thought humanly possible. "Ohmigod, I missed you so much! I really can't believe you're actually here! I have so much to tell you about! Did I mention I missed you?!"

Mine paused for a long time, trying to wrap her head around the words being fired at her. "Um...sorry, but…can you remind me who you are again? I'm having trouble remembering things."

"WHAT?! You forgot me?! B-But I'm your bestest friend in the whole world and you told me so!" NS whined.

"Maybe you could jog her memory somehow?" Eri suggested.

NS grinned devilishly. "Good idea!" She took a few steps back.

"NS! That's not what I-!"

"BING!" NS roared, tackle-hugging Mine with such extraordinary force that Mine nearly toppled off the bed and to the ground.

For a moment, Mine's mouth became detached from her brain: "Night*Star! I told you not to do that without asking me first!" Mine shoved NS off of her with as much force and NS tackled her with, but NS could've cared less.

"You do remember me!" NS cried.

Mine paused, letting more of the fog she didn't even realize was in her mind until now clear. Images of her insane, chocolate-loving friend came rushing back. "Yeah...I do!"

"Wait…you're friends with NS?" Ryu looked at Mine skeptically.

Mine nodded. "We've been friends since we were little! Our parents were close, so we saw each other all the time!"

NS clapped excitedly. "Yes! You remember! I have so much to tell you! So much has happened to me since you left!"

"Like what?"

NS pointed to Eri. "I got myself a weapon!"

"You?! You really got a partner?" NS nodded proudly. "How?"

"She tricked me," Eri mumbled.

"I did not! You joined me willingly!" NS proclaimed.

"I don't want to sound mean," Mine started, turning to Eri, "but, seriously! How do you put up with her?! I mean, even I used to roundhouse kick her in the face all the time!"

"She did." NS smiled nostalgically.

"Easy!" Eri answered, pulling a chocolate bar from his pocket and waving it teasingly in front of NS's face. "NS, sit down and calm down and you get the chocolate!" NS, as if in a trance, sat down at the foot of Mine's bed and went dead-quiet. Eri handed her the bar which she quickly scarfed down.

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Mine moaned. "It was so obvious!"

"I actually found that one out on accident." Eri explained. "If you ever need some spare bars, let me know."

"Don't think I won't take you up on that offer."

"NS~! THERE YOU ARE~!" a sing-song voice called from the doorway. The room turned to see Kazu skipping into the room. "I've been looking all over for you~!"

"Yeah! Me too!" Kira called, marching into the room. If looks could kill, the look on Kira's face at that moment would have wiped out mankind. "We tied body counts from the battle, so we need a way to break the tie!"

"Okay, I'm almost 100% sure I don't know you guys," Mine remarked, confused.

"Because you don't!" NS pointed out. "They came after you disappeared! They're Lord Death the Kid's adopted twins, Kazu and Kira!"

"You're pretty!" Kazu giggled.

Kira punched him roughly in the shoulder, "What did I tell you about complimenting strangers?!" she growled.

"B-But, NS knows her! And all of NS's friends are my friends!"

"She still doesn't know you, you complete and utter moron!"

"Kiiiiiirrraaaa!" Kazu sniffed. "Quit being so mean to me! I'm not trying to make you angry!"

"Oh, man up! You're pathetic!"

"...I take it they don't get along?" Mine stated.

"You don't even know the half of it," Ryu replied.

"Sorry, you'll have to excuse my brother's idiocy. He was dropped on the head several times as a baby."

"I was noooot!" Kazu whined.

Kira ignored him. "Just tell me when he becomes a nuisance and I'll...'take care' of him."

Mine nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah! I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright everyone!" Maka interrupted. "I think Mine's had enough visitors for the day! Let's all clear out and give her some time to rest."

"But I just got to see her again!" NS argued. Eri pulled out another bar of chocolate. "I'll come visit you tomorrow! Okay?" Eri tossed her the chocolate.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!" Mine beamed.

"Nice to meet you, pretty lady~!" Kazu waved.

Kira smacked him. "Quit being a ditz!" She turned to Mine. "Guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah, t-totally!" Mine stuttered. Kira's glare getting the best of her.

Choko rubbed up against Mine one last time. "See you later!" she mewed, hopping back up on the windowsill and outside.

Maka ushered the two meister-weapon pairs out the door. Before she left as well, she turned to Mine. "Try and get some rest, sweetie. You have quite the adventure ahead of you!" Mine nodded, and Maka exited.

"Well, I don't know about you..." Ryu began. "But, since you so kindly interrupted my earlier nap, I'm going to take another!" He lay down on one of the beds opposite Mine, knowing if he slept upside down again, his balls were likely to suffer.

Mine smiled. 'Still lazy as ever,' she thought, and snuggled under her sheets, letting her body and mind rest.

Her mother's words echoed in her ears. "'Quite the adventure', huh?" She closed her eyes. 'Well, if this is my first day of an adventure, I can't wait to see tomorrow.'

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _First Day of A New Adventure_

* * *

A/N

Me: Just like the title implies, Mine got some memories back! And now, we can begin working with some real plot lines! I have a lot planned for the future! New characters, dangerous enemies, action-packed missions, and dark secrets! The title is Soul Eater: Next Generation for nothing!

Onilee: *flipping through file* Lame, Lame, Lame, Cliché, Terrible, Saddening...

Me: *snatches file* NO SPOILING IT! Thanks so much for the support and I hope that it'll only grow from here, because you'll be hearing from me for a LOONG time!

Onilee: Remember what I said earlier about her not keeping her word? Yeah, start praying I'm right!

Me: QUIT BEING A TROLL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Until next time FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW~!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

Me: *head-desk* Hey guys...remember when I said updates every other week? Yeah, not as easy as it sounds.

Onilee: See? Didn't I tell you guys not to get your hopes up?

Me: Put a sock in it Onilee. Alright, I believe you guys deserve an explanation. So here it is. It all started a little over a week ago. I sat down to try to write this, but NOTHING WAS FLOWING! And when my writing doesn't flow. I use boring adjectives and repeat myself CONSTANTLY in dialogue. My character's suddenly have no character, which is REALLY bad considering this is an OC fic, and the plot moves at the pace of a freaking snail. Would you guys rather have a TERRIBLE chapter on time. Or a 13-page good chapter a week late...Yeah, thought so. So, I hope that these over 5,000 words make up for last week. Enjoy~!

* * *

_First Day of a New Adventure_

It was a beautiful Monday morning in Death City. The sun had just risen over the horizon and a gentle breeze wandered lazily through the streets. The hustle and bustle of the typical weekday had yet to begin, leaving the entire city with a temporary sense of peace.

...That is, almost the entire city.

"Ryu!" Mine called, rapping on her weapon's bedroom door, still clothed in her pajamas. "Wake up! I don't wanna be late today!"

Inside, Ryu groaned as he rolled sluggishly out of bed, tumbling to the floor and lying there in his boxers, unwilling to make the enormous effort of standing up. It'd been a while since he'd slept in his bed-normally he would've slept upside down. But, ever since his meister moved in, he found such a thing increasingly difficult to do without her causing him agony. Eventually, he gave up all together.

"Hey! I said get up, you lazy bum!" Mine shouted again.

"I am up," Ryu responded tiredly, rolling his eyes.

"Well, then come out and eat breakfast! Today's my first day of school, and there's no way you're going to make me late!"

Ryu got to his feet and glanced at his alarm clock. "Relax. We still have almost an hour and a half." He paused for a moment, realizing what he'd just stated. "Wait! We still have an hour and a half! Why did you wake me up?"

"Because you take forever to get ready in the morning," Mine replied smoothly. "Now get out of that bedroom and help me with breakfast!"

A part of Ryu still wondered why he'd ever agreed to allowing Mine to live with him. Of course, he had the space…but living with her was unpleasantly reminiscent of living with his mother, who happened to be part of the reason why he'd left to go to the DWMA.

Still, another part of him knew why he'd made the offer to his meister. Mine's only other option was moving back in with her parents, and she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't going to live under the same roof as her father. Besides, it was nice to have a roommate: She helped keep the place neat and tidy, she cooked for both of them every now and then, and he always had someone to chat with when he wanted to, even if she did nag.

Ryu pulled on some pants and a shirt, and then left the comfort of his room to help his meister in the kitchen. Mine was already at the stove, frying some eggs in a pan. She had left some bread by the toaster, which he immediately popped in.

He turned to Mine. "Sleep well?"

Mine shrugged. "Okay, I guess. I was up late…I'm pretty edgy about all this."

"About what? School?"

She nodded. "It IS my first day, after all. And it's always been my dream to go to the DWMA. It's hard to believe it's really happening."

"Hey, don't sweat it too much. It's just school; nothing really amazing happens there anyway…well, except for maybe what happened a few weeks ago, but that's not the point. You'll be fine."

"Maybe you're right, but that doesn't make me any less nervous."

"Well, I tried," Ryu said, pulling the toast out of the toaster and putting them on plates for them both.

Mine rolled her eyes, flipping the eggs onto the toast and grabbing her plate. "You aren't really that encouraging, you know that?"

"Never said I was," Ryu replied, stuffing the toasted egg sandwich in his mouth.

Mine sat at the kitchen table, nibbling at her breakfast and mulling over everything that'd happened to her. Just over a week ago, she'd been sleeping on a cot in Tsubasa's basement, getting needles jabbed into just about every blood vessel in her arm. Now she had her loving mom back, shared a home with her partner, and in less than an hour would be going to the DWMA.

'Things can change so fast,' she thought, putting her toast down, her nerves getting the better of her hunger.

She took her plate to the sink, and went to her room to change. Her room was fairly small, but it was cozy and she had a good view of the school in the distance from her window. She shut the door behind her and rummaged through her drawers.

Her mom had insisted on getting her brand new clothes, seeing as her old clothes from back home didn't fit her anymore and she didn't want to wear the ones Tsubasa had given her. Maka paid for it all, saying it was to make up for four years of missed birthday gifts.

Mine wanted to make a good impression on her first day, so she settled on a simple, white button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves, a slivery-gray plaid skirt, her new converse lace-up boots, and her favorite black-and-white-stripped fingerless gloves. After that, she ducked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She scowled at her bed-head and quickly brushed it out of her hair, pinning a few barrettes in to keep her bangs out of her face.

She was brushing her teeth when a loud bang came from outside the bathroom door. "Hurry up!" Ryu hollered. "It's my bathroom to you know!"

Mine spat the toothpaste out in the sink. "I know, I know…wouldn't want to keep you from your eyeliner."

"GUYliner!" Ryu corrected agitatedly.

"It's still eyeliner, no matter what label you slap on it," Mine quipped, opening the bathroom door. Ryu was already dressed in his regular blue shirt and loose black tie. He looked her over intently. "What?"

"You look nice," Ryu returned. "But it's missing something."

"Since when did you become the fashion police?"

Ryu ignored her. "Hold on a minute!" He hurried back into his room, and for a minute Mine listened to him shuffling through his closet. He came out moments later with a simple blue tie. "Try this out."

Mine grabbed the tie and Ryu helped her knot it correctly over her neck. She looked in the bathroom mirror. "That does look a lot better."

"See? Plus, it helps hide your flat chest."

Mine blushed furiously, crossing her arms over her chest. She'd always been pretty self-conscious about her tiny breasts, and she didn't need Ryu rubbing the fact in her face. "It's not my fault I don't have my mom's bust! Blame the unfairness of genetics!"

"Yeah, yeah…now it's my turn to use the bathroom." Ryu shifted around Mine and shut the door behind him.

* * *

A short time later, the two found themselves making their way towards the towering academy.

Mine kept several strides ahead of Ryu, who was perfectly content with his leisurely stroll. Lost in her own mind, Mine wondered what it would be like at school. Ryu had answered most of her questions, but nothing could compare to really being there. She felt as if millions of butterflies where fluttering around in her stomach. She thought she would burst.

Her train of though was suddenly derailed by a loud cry: "BING!" Mine whipped her head around to see Ryu jumping out of the way of the blue-haired bullet racing toward her. Mine was nearly tackled to the ground at the force of the impact, and when she'd gotten her bearings, she turned her attention to NS, who was clinging to her in a death-grip of a hug.

"Mine!" NS cheered, refusing to relinquish her hold on her friend.

Eri came running, out of breath from having to pursue his meister before she tore up the town. "NS! Let her breathe!"

NS quickly let go of Mine, who toppled to the ground. "Sorry!" NS quickly apologized.

Mine got up and brushed the dirt off her skirt. "No harm done. You did that all the time to me when we were little." She grinned nostalgically.

NS laughed. "Good times. Anyway, I can't believe you're going to be in our class!"

"The school didn't really have much of a choice." Mine indicated Ryu, who had just sauntered up to the group. "Ryu's in your class. They couldn't really split us up."

NS turned to Ryu and punched him playfully in the arm. "Ryu! Thank you for being born!"

Ryu clutched at his arm, trying to rub the soreness away. "Y-You're welcome?"

Eri turned nervously to the clock tower. "We probably should get moving. The first bell rings in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?!" Mine squawked. She grabbed Ryu's uninjured arm and ran up the street, forcing Ryu to struggle to keep up.

"When will you learn to slow the hell down, crazy woman?!" Ryu yelled, trying to pry himself from Mine's clutches.

"Wait up! Don't have all the fun without me!" NS called as she hopped onto Eri's back before the weapon could react. "Mush! We have to catch up with them!"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a husky, NS!"

NS simply stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be such a wimp. Now, mush like a man!" Eri gave an exasperated sigh and began to trudge up the street.

Mine didn't slow down until she had entered the gates of DWMA.

"Finally!" Ryu smiled. He tried to walk forward, but was only jerked back. Mine still hadn't let go of his arm. "Mine, can you let me go? I sorta need that arm." Mine ignored him, and continued staring straight ahead; though her eyes were useless, her soul perception was glued on the enormous structure before her. She had spent years dreaming about what it would be like to be able to stand at the gates of the DWMA. Yet, no fantasy could compare to to soaring feeling, rising up from the pit of her stomach. Still, she couldn't shake the sadness when she remembered that this wasn't the first time she's walked through the gate.

"Mine?" Ryu asked, as he continued trying to escape against her grip.

Mine eventually released him. "Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just...the last time I walked through these gates and stared down this place, I was prepared to kill the first thing that came into my line of sight."

Ryu put a hand on her shoulder. "What's done is done. That's in the past, and you shouldn't let something like that ruin your day." He waved her towards the front doors. "Now c'mon, class is starting soon."

Mine smiled, wondering how her partner always knew just the right thing to say, and followed him inside.

* * *

A couple of students watched on, their eyes pressing in upon the new meister.

"That's her!" one girl whispered to her friend. "That's the new girl."

"The one everyone's been talking about?" the boy next to her inquired.

"Yeah! The one who killed that witch who attacked the DWMA a few weeks ago, single-handedly!"

"That's just a rumor!"

"No, it's true! I was there myself, watched the whole thing go down! She got that witch without her weapon. They say this girl's the most powerful meister enrolled in the school!"

"You're bluffing!"

"It's the truth, cross my soul!"

A voice came from behind them. "Well, if it's the truth, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind filling me in."

The two friends turned. A girl stood behind them, her black eyes piercing and her chocolate hair blowing behind her. On either side of her stood two her partners, though the rest of the school may argue the term 'lackeys' would be more appropriate.

"O-Oh, hi Cabra," The girl responded nervously. "I didn't see you there."

Cabra sneered. "You said something about the strongest meister in the school? I assumed you were referring to me."

"Actually, we were just talking about the new girl," the other replied.

"New girl?" Cabra stiffened, clenching her fists. "What 'new girl'?"

"You mean you haven't heard? Everyone's talking about it…the girl who killed that witch a few weeks ago! She's enrolled now!"

Cabra's mouth pressed into a thin line. "Thanks for the information," she spoke, her voice flowing with a feigned sweetness. The two students, taking the opportunity to avoid the meltdown they knew would soon be coming, quickly fled.

Cabra whipped around, glaring furiously at her blonde partner. "Carisa! Why wasn't I told about this?"

"It's not my fault!" Carisa trembled under Cabra's gaze, her eyes looked frantically around and settled on Cabra's other partner. She held up an accusing finger, "Marcella was supposed to tell you!"

Cabra focused her fury on the other girl. "Marcella," she hissed.

"Sorry, Cabra…" Marcella replied dully, not paying much attention to the rage laced in Cabra's voice. "it's been quite the topic around school. I just assumed you'd already heard it from someone."

"Well, I didn't, and now I'm just hearing about this new chick trying to muscle in on my territory!"

"Don't worry, Cabra!" Carisa cheered, quicky getting over her fear. "You're the best meister here! No doubt about it! You get the best grades, complete the hardest missions, and have the most students' respect!"

"Duh." Marcella continued, rolling her eyes slightly at Carisa, "She's just a newbie, after all. She shouldn't even be considered a threat."

"Be that as it may, I should knock this weakling down a few pegs before she gets too cocky. Now let's go." Cabra motioned for her lackeys to follow. "We don't want to be late for class."

* * *

Ryu lead Mine into their classroom. "Here it is," he said, referring to the large room around them.

"It's huge," Mine noted. "Do we really have this many students?"

"Not many," Ryu explained. "Most of this room is for training practice in the classroom." Mine nodded in acknowledgment.

"Ryuuuuuu!" a familiar voice called. Kazu came running up to Ryu, grinning childishly. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hey, Kazu," Ryu smiled politely.

"Dammit, Kazu!" Kira called, running up behind her brother. "Don't just ditch me when I'm talking to you!"

"But Ryu's here!" Kazu supplied innocently.

"I don't give a crap if the Queen of freaking England walked through the door! If I'm talking to you, you listen!" She punched Kazu in the arm. "Sorry, Ryu…I know he can be a pain in the ass."

"It's alright," Ryu reassured. "It was just a friendly hello."

Kira nodded curtly then turned her attention to Mine. "You're that girl from the hospital. Ryu's partner, right?"

"Yeah! Sorry we didn't get to talk too much when you came to see me." Mine said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and just barely ignoring Kira's particularly sharp gaze.

"You were recovering, after all." Kira shrugged. "And I don't think it would've been wise to have stayed, seeing how I'm always babysitting my dipshit of a twin brother. He probably would've screwed something up."

"Kiiiiiirraaa!" Kazu pouted. "Quit calling me names!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Kira absentmindedly apologized, roughly patting Kazu on the head and giving him a shove to the side. "Well, since you're new, I think I'd better fill you in about how things work around here. Death the Kid-."

"Daddy, Kira," Kazu interrupted. "He's our daddy!"

"Go shove a brick in your mouth, Kazu. Anyway, Death the Kid is the second Grim Reaper to run the school. His father, Lord Death, founded this school, and ran it up until a few years ago when he retired and left Kid in charge. There are two levels of classes available at the school. The E.A.T. level, or Especially Advanced Talent level, is the one were in right now. The other is the N.O.T. level, or Normally Overcome Target, which is basically the majority of the student body. At our level, we go on field missions and collect kishin-egg souls to help our weapons become Deathscythes, weapons used by the Reapers themselves. It's the ultimate goal of every student here."

"That's so cool!" Mine smiled excitedly.

"It's still not all fun and games," Kira pointed out. "You need ninety-nine kishin-eggs and one witch's soul to make a Deathscythe, and I can count off on my fingers the number of weapons that have reached that level in the history of this school."

"That's a lot of souls," Mine laughed nervously.

"And they aren't easy to get," Kira added. "But you killed a witch without a weapon, so I wouldn't be too worried. Speaking of which, isn't your dad the current Deathscythe working at the DWMA?"

Mine's jaw clenched at the mention of her father, her teeth grinding loudly.

"Ixnay on the atherfay!" Ryu muttered in warning, crossing his arms for added emphasis.

"...You have problems with your dad too?" Kira asked curiously. Mine gave a nod, still viciously gritting her teeth. Kira beamed. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a beautiful friendship."

At that moment, NS burst into the room, still riding Eri's back. "DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL MY BEST FRIEND!" she accused, pointing at Kira. "GO FIND YOUR OWN!"

"NS, calm down, please!" Eri beseeched his partner. "It's too early to be fighting!"

"I don't mind. She's all talk anyway," Kira spat.

NS leapt off Eri's back and stormed up to Kira. "You know, we never really did break that kill-count tie from the big battle."

Kira smiled manically. "You're absolutely right. Let's go, right now!"

They both lunged at each other, Kira aiming a punch at NS's nose, and NS going for Kira's vital organs. They were about to collide in a flurry of fists and rage when a heavy book came crashing down on each of their heads.

"Save the petty squabbles for later girls. You'll need that energy." Maka neatly tucked her weapon under her arm. "That is, if you're going to get anything done in my class."

"Mom?" Mine asked, wondering if her soul perception was failing her.

"Hey, Mine." Maka smiled. "Looks like it's the first day for both of us."

"You're teaching us?" Ryu inquired. "What about Sid?"

"He's been put back on the field now that I'm back." Maka grinned. "He said it reminded him of the kind of man he used to be."

"That sounds like Sid," Kira recognized.

Just then the bell rang and Maka turned to the room of students. "Alright, everyone, please take your seats!"

"Sit next to me Mine!" NS exclaimed, taking Mine's hand and leading her to the chair next to her. Ryu sat on Mine's other side, while Eri sat next to NS. Kazu and Kira sat in the row directly behind them.

Maka sat down at her desk. "Good morning, class. I'm Maka Evans-you may call me Maka-sensei-and I'll be your teacher from now on."

"Hello, Maka-sensei," the class chanted dully.

"Since this is my first day, I think it would be best for you all to show me what you're made of! I will call the names of two weapon and meister pairs to go head-to-head in battle." Using a piece of chalk, Maka drew a wide circle on the ground. "The rules are fairly straightforward. To win, you must either incapacitate your opponent to the point where they cannot continue to battle, or force them outside this ring."

Maka pulled out a file listing the names of the pupils. "We'll take this one at time. Starting with...Night*Star Nakatsukata and her partner Eri Hayashi against Kazu and Kira Death."

A loud gasp echoed throughout the classroom and nervous glances were exchanged. NS and Kira were grinning ear to ear, Eri let his head hit the desk in front of him, and Kazu continued to sit, happily humming an upbeat tune.

"Let's say we make this our tie-breaker for the last competition we had," Kira suggested maliciously.

"If you insist…just don't go crying to Daddy when I kick your sorry ass," NS retorted. "Eri, let's go." Eri took a deep breath, knowing this would be a long fight, and morphed into his Kunai form. NS held them tightly in between her fingers. "Let's get this party started!" NS hurrahed, leaping down into the chalk circle."

"Prepare to kiss my ass, you blue-haired freak!" Kira proclaimed, transforming into a katana. Kazu caught her in mid-air. "Now get to the circle, Kazu!" Kira ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Kazu skipped all the way to the middle of the ring and stood opposite NS.

"Try not to kill each other," Maka added as an afterthought. "Battle starts…now!"

NS was the first to make a move, charging directly at Kazu, Eri's kunai laced in between her fingers.

"Block it, moron!" Kira dictated. Kazu held up the blade, intercepting NS's attack. He pushed her back and swept the weapon low at her feet. "That's it! Just get her out of the circle!"

"Fat chance!" NS cackled, jumping back in the nick of time and throwing her daggers in the direction of Kazu's face. He ducked just in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding them.

"Oh please!" Kira taunted. "This is too easy! When are you going to give me a real challenge?"

NS smirked. "My mother told me never to play rough with children."

"You're gonna pay for that one!" Kira screeched. "Kazu! Resonance, now!"

"Kay~!" Kazu beamed, closing his eyes, and holding Kira's blade in front of him, the tip of the sword pointed at NS. He focused his wavelength and sent it to Kira, who reciprocated the force of his soul back ten times stronger than it had originally been. The entire class could feel the electricity radiating through the air.

"Two can play at that game! Let's go, Eri!" Eri nodded and NS crossed her arms over her chest, the kunai fanning out in her fingers. The twosome's wavelengths beginning to sync up and become one with one another. The power in the air was so thick that the hair on the back of Mine's neck began to rise up.

Kira's blade turned a bloody red and grew longer until it was as tall as the twin that wielded her. Eri's knives seemed as though a sinister, midnight blue ice had frozen onto the shank, giving it a much sharper appearance.

"DEATH STRIKE!" Kazu and Kira shouted together.

"SOUL SHARD KNIFE!" NS and Eri roared.

The four met in the middle of a circle and a loud explosion ensued, a cloud of dust obscuring the battle. When the dust settled, they all had been thrown out of the chalk circle.

"What?!" Kira screeched. "Another freaking draw?!"

"And I was so ready to hear you admit that I'm better than you!" NS lamented.

"In your dreams!"

Maka had quickly diffused the situation with a quick smack on both their head's with her trusty textbook. "Save it for after class you two. Looks like you guys are pretty evenly matched."

"NO, I'M WAY BETTER THAN HER!" Kira and NS protested.

Maka held up her book. "Don't make me use this again. Take your seats so the next pairs can battle." They reluctantly trudged back to their seats, slumping in mutual defeat.

"Great…now we have to fight another tie-breaker," Eri mumbled under his breath as he took his place next to NS.

Kazu, on the other hand, continued humming as he sat next to his sister, blissfully ignorant of the dirty looks his sister was flashing NS and the ones NS was firing back.

"Next!" Maka checked her list. "Cabra Fiel and her partners Carisa Foley and Marcella Orozco up against Mine Evans and Ryu Avery."

Ryu visibly tensed at the sound of Cabra's name. He knew all about their adversary, just as nearly everyone else in the school did. Cabra Fiel was a person to be feared. She was smart and talented in both her studies and on the field. She was ruthless, known as the most powerful meister enrolled in the school. And on top of that, she was Ryu's ex-girlfriend, a week-long relationship he'd prefer to forget.

Mine glanced across the room to where Cabra had risen with her partners, the three slowly making their way to the chalk circle. Mine could tell Cabra was a well-seasoned meister, noticing that the way she carried herself screamed experience. Mine could also sense an air of confidence-or perhaps cockiness-surrounding the meister and her weapons.

Mine and Ryu walked into the ring, "Well, this should be an interesting fight," Mine said hopefully.

"Interesting isn't the word I'd use," Ryu mumbled so that only Mine could hear.

"Lighten up and let's get going," Mine grinned, grabbing Ryu's hand as he transmogrified into his scythe-form.

Cabra gave a little "hmph" and snapped her fingers. "Carisa, Marcella, I believe we need to teach this little newbie a lesson."

"Right!" they nodded, mutating into their weapon forms: arms shrinking away, bellies rounding, mouths opening wider until they had become two handheld cannons.

Cabra grabbed them, slipping them onto her hands with ease. "Let's see if you can take the heat!" She aimed the cannons at Mine, and almost immediately a condensed blast of wavelength came hurdling at Mine.

Mine quickly leapt to the side of it, the attack grazing across her leg. She yelped at the burning sensation.

"You're going to have to dodge faster than that!" Cabra squealed, blasting more rounds at Mine.

Mine put her soul perception to the limit, trying to find every small opening she could to avoid the fire. Even then she wasn't fast enough, she could feel the intense fire singeing her every time a round managed to touch her. It was getting harder and harder to focus on the opening.

"Pull yourself together, Mine!" Ryu called to his meister. "Don't keep dodging like a pansy! Fight back!" Mine gripped Ryu's staff and refocused her perception, looking for a path straight to Cabra.

'There it is!' she thought as she sensed the path her soul had created for her. Knowing the path could disappear in an instant, Mine wasted no time in rushing through the openings.

Once Mine was close enough, she raised the blade above her head and brought it down, aiming for Cabra's neck. The blade was inches from Cabra's neck when Cabra used Marcella to block the attack. "That's so cute!" Cabra mocked. "I almost forgot how adorable the beginners are! Thinking they can beat me with stupid moves like that!" Cabra pressed Carisa's barrel at Mine's chest and fired.

Mine felt an intense pain spread rapidly through her whole body, feeling as though everything within her were being torn apart. The attack made her fly back several feet-a few more inches and she would've flown out of the circle.

"Dammit!" she hissed, clutching her chest in the place where the blast had hit. There was no physical mark, but the pain was all too real.

"Too bad, I thought you'd be more fun to fight. But I guess you're no different from all the other chumps, even if you did beat a witch!"

Mine clenched her teeth and stood, squeezing Ryu's handle tightly. "I'm not through just yet!"

"Good to know! It's more fun shooting a conscious target." Cabra chuckled. "Carisa! Marcella! Soul Resonance!"

"Right!" the two responded. Cabra brought the two cannons next to each other, aiming them at Mine's chest. A whooshing sound filled the room. Mine stared down the barrel of the cannons as they began to shine with a bright golden aura, which was getting brighter and brighter by the second.

"Shit!" Ryu bellowed. "There's no way we can dodge a blast that big!"

"There's got to be!" Mine frantically searched for an opening, even the tiniest one, to escape the oncoming attack. She stared directly at Cabra. "Ryu, there's only one way out of this." With those determined words, she charged directly at Cabra.

"ARE YOU INSANE?! WE'LL BE OBLITERATED!" Ryu roared. "I SWEAR, IF YOU GET US KILLED, I'LL MAKE YOUR AFTERLIFE MISERABLE!"

Cabra only laughed harder. "You're more idiotic than I thought! OMEGA BLAST!" The energy that'd been collecting inside Carisa and Marcella was released in the form of a giant beam, barreling towards Mine and Ryu at top speed.

Just as the beam was about to hit them, Mine jumped off the ground, sailing over it and straight towards Cabra. She raised Ryu high over her head and slashed Cabra along her chest.

Caught off guard, and off balance, Cabra stumbled back and fell out of the ring.

"The battle is over!" Maka announced. "Mine and Ryu have won!"

The class erupted into applause. Never before had they seen a student beat Cabra. Finally, someone was able to stand up to her and give her a taste of her own medicine.

Ryu turned back into his human form and clapped Mine on the back. "That was amazing!" He whooped. "But, I swear to God, if you ever pull a stunt like that again I _will_ murder you in the afterlife."

"Duly noted," Mine chortled.

Cabra was fuming. "What?! How could you beat me?! No one's ever avoided that attack before! You cheated!"

"How could I have cheated?"

"I...I don't know! But I know you did!" Carisa and Marcella morphed back into humans, helping Cabra up and half lead, half dragged their partner back to her seat.

"Relax, Cabra. We'll get her next time," Marcella reassured.

"And next time we'll use a bigger blast!" Carisa added, making explosion noises for emphasis.

Cabra plopped down at her seat and glowered at her desk. 'This means war, Mine Evans. You haven't heard the last of me!'

* * *

Outside Death City, a lone woman stood, staring out over the city. Her fiery red hair was tied in pigtails, and a small black top-hat sat obscurely in her curls. "Mistress won't be pleased to hear Tsubasa failed. Hehehe!" A wide smile cracked across her face. "Then again, the plan was doomed to fail from the start!" The harlequin cackled harder. "Poor, poor Tsubasa! A victim of her own hubris! Taking on the DWMA directly? Trying to take it over in one night? HAHAHAHA! The very thought!"

She turned around to look out over the open desert. "HEHEHEHE, looks like Amon and I have our work cut out for us if we want to make Mistress happy." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Hello?" A deep voice on the other end answered.

"Hehehe! Amon, it's ME!"

"Chernabog?" Amon took on a lighter tune. "How's it going, baby?"

"Hehehehe! Amazingly well! It's been confirmed that Tsubasa's mission has failed! HA! Like we expected any different!"

"That means that we can begin Phase One?"

"HAHAHAHA! Of course, silly! Mistress Loucura gave us her blessing in case that witch failed." Chernabog laughed even harder. "And BOY, did she fail beautifully! Assemble the Collectors…I'll meet you in Milan!"

"See you soon, my sweet!"

"Hehe! Bye-bye!" With that, Chernabog shut her phone.

She looked up wistfully at the sky as the clouds began to gather—perhaps, she considered, it would actually rain for once in this dry wasteland. She giggled quietly, as though the impending storm could hear her speaking. "The Kishin WILL rise again…to be greater and more powerful than ever before!" With a high pitched squeal, she began her trek through the endless expanse of the great desert.

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _First Mission: Murder in Milan_

* * *

A/N

Me: (Okay, that title may change. I make those up on the spot for the most part, and sometimes I don't like them.) SEE?! AN ACTUAL STORY ARC! It's beginning next chapter! Again, I really do apologize for the extra week wait. But, I just don't have enough time or inspiration to go around for two fanfics every other week. I'll try to do every other week from this point on...but as Onilee said, don't get your hopes up too much. Just hope that even if it's late, the chapter will be worth it. This was 13 pages and took me several nights to write, so I REALLY pray this made up for the wait.

Onilee: Well, it would've if it wasn't BLAND AND BORING! ...Well, accept for Cabra, she's alright.

Me: Why am I not surprised that those words are coming out of that hole in your face you call a mouth. Now, to my readers, let's see if we can get more people to read this. Yeah, I know, Soul Eater OC fic. It's been done. But I still would love to get those favorite, follow and review emails! They are what REALLY keep me going, and the more love you give this fic, the faster I update! That's a pinky promise!

Onilee: So humor her. Throw the monkey a banana and see what dances she can do!

Me: I'm not a monkey, Onilee. I'm a human being. Until next time FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW~!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N

Me: Hey guys! I said that I would finish this if it killed me. And I meant it. Even if I don't update so often. I'll finish this.

Onilee: That's what you think, *whispers to audience* Don't believe her! She's lying through her teeth.

Me: *smacks Onilee* Well, sorry for the unannounced hiatus...again. If i ever see it coming, I'll warn you. But this time, I sorta went through a phase. A phase of writer's depression. Where I was not confident at all in my work and my muse just died. But it's back! And I'm much better now.

Onilee: That doesn't mean you write any better.

Me: Go shove a spork in your throat. This chapter is PRETTY short in comparison to last chapter...make that really short. Still, I put a lot of thought into it because no matter how little, I still want to try and make it good. ENJOY~!

* * *

_First Misson: Murder in Milan [Part 1]_

Night had fallen upon the beautiful city of Milan, and several tourists were still up and about, enjoying the nightlife that the city had to offer. Allof them were too caught up in themselves to notice a lone man sitting stiffly on the edge of the fountain in the Piazza Castello, cross-legged. Keeping his nervous fingers busy, he constantly adjusted his emerald waistcoat and dusted the dirt off his tuxedo pants. When that became boring to him, he played with the rim of his burgundy bowler hat, which sat askew on top of his choppy bluish-black hair.

He procured a golden pocket-watch from his waistcoat breast pocket, tipping his hat back so he could see the time more clearly. "What's taking her so long? She should have given the signal by now." His black eyes looked up at the smiling moon, hoping its half-mad grin would cheer him up as it usually did.

"The Collectors are all set to go," he grumbled agitatedly, "and Mistress isn't very patient. She knows that, so why is she making us wait?" Amon eyes drifted to a darkened alley nearby. Hidden in it were dozens of figures obscured by the shadows.

He then focused his attention at the people around him. He had chosen this spot specifically because of the clubs and bars that lined the streets. Everyone was too drunk on life (and other substances) to notice that they were on borrowed time. Amon had to bite back the laugh threatening to tumble from his lips.

"Soon..." he whispered reassuringly to himself.

Suddenly a loud cackling snapped Amon out of his reverie. The lights of the street suddenly went dark, the music from the clubs became quiet and the people looked around curiously for the cause of the power outage.

Amon felt his lips peel away from his white teeth to reveal a psychotic grin, one to rival the moon above. "Finally." He snapped his fingers and the figures emerged from the dark alley, stepping into the pale moonlight. They seemed like ordinary men and women at a cursory glance. All of them stood at attention with black hoods drawn over their heads, hiding their faces from prying eyes.

"Collect as many souls as you can hold, and spare no one," Amon ordered smoothly. The figures gave a slight synchronized nod and scattered, rushing towards the crowd of confused tourists.

The cackling had begun again, and Amon joined in, their laughter drowning out the horrified screams and cries of mercy of the crowd on the street.

* * *

"Morning, Kid," Soul greeted with a yawn as he walked into the Death Room.

"You're here before the first bell?" Kid questioned. "That's a first."

"Haha," Soul retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Very funny. You can thank Maka for that-ever since she's been home, she's been waking me up at the crack of dawn every morning."

"I can see you're happy to have her home then." Kid chuckled, "You know, Maka and I did some catching up yesterday. She's happy to be teaching again, but she seemed a little more inclined to talk about Mine. She said Mine's thrilled that she's starting school, she seems to be fitting right in. It must feel good to have everyone home again, hm?"

Soul paused for a moment. "Uh...actually, Mine moved in with her partner Ryu. She sorta refuses to stay under the same roof as I do."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. She must be furious at you then."

"I can't say I blame her for that…she does have a right to be angry with me. But...I guess it still doesn't make me feel any better about it."

"I understand where you're coming from: Kira and I don't exactly get along either."

"But you adopted her, so she's only lived with you for three years! I've been with Mine since the beginning! She was my little girl and it's so hard trying to accept that she hates my guts right now!" Soul put his head in his hands. "Damn, I feel like I'm turning into my father-in-law!"

Before Kid could respond, a call started coming through the mirror. Kid and Soul turned towards it, just as Liz and Patty appeared in the screen. "Liz and Patty Thomson reporting!" Liz started. "Kid, we have a problem."

"A _ginormous_ problem!" Patty added, spreading her arms wide for emphasis.

"What is it?" Kid asked.

"Something really freaky happened in Milan last night. There was a huge power outage in the nightlife district, for almost a half hour there was no power. When the lights came back on-."

"There were corpses _everywhere_!" Patty shouted, still in awe about the whole ordeal. "In the clubs, the bars, and even lying in the street!"

Liz visibly shook and her face turned pale at the thought, "A-About 53 bodies have turned up so far," She managed to choke out, "and it gets a _lot _weirder! There was no reason these people should've died. All the autopsies said that there was no known exterior or interior trauma that could've caused their deaths."

"That is unsettling," Kid noted. "But this sounds more like a case for the police than the DWMA…why should we get involved?"

"That's because there was only one thing we could confirm about the bodies…"

"Their souls were sucked right out of them!" Patty cut in, making exaggerated slurping noises. Liz quickly put her hand over her sister's mouth, swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat.

"What?" Soul burst out in disbelief.

Liz nodded jerkily. "Something or a lot of somethings stole 53 souls in one night…maybe even more."

"Hmmm…this doesn't seem like the work of a lone pre-Kishin," Kid began. "There's no chance one could've eaten that many souls in a half hour. Even if it is one that is on the brink of becoming a full-blown Kishin, we would've learned about it by now."

"So it wasn't a pre-Kishin?" Soul asked.

"Not one working alone, there has to be a group of them working as a team. That's the only way they could've covered that much ground in such little time. Moreover, they're smart enough to kill the power before they begin their work. It leaves a greater chance of no one seeing them."

"So what should we do about this?" Liz inquired. "A lot of people are freaking out over here and I need to tell them we're doing something about it."

Kid scratched his chin pensively, weighing his options. He turned to Soul. "Perhaps this is a good opportunity to show your daughter the ropes. She's good friends with Night*Star, so we'll send her and Eri with them, and I'll send Kazu and Kira."

"Uh, I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Kid," Liz mentioned matter-of-factly. "NS and Kira hate each other's guts."

"Exactly: This is also a good opportunity to force them to learn to work together. Plus, Kazu and Kira have a lot of experience in the field, so they'll be a good influence on Mine."

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Kid."

"Soul, call the kids out of class so we can brief them on the mission. Hopefully we can take care of this as soon as possible."

* * *

The bell hadn't rung quite yet, so most of the students were sitting in their desks, waiting for class to start. NS and Kira were having an increasingly heated argument-the cause of which neither could remember—while Mine and Eri were preventing NS from lunging at Kira. Kazu was doodling bunnies in his notebook and Ryu was trying to take a nap on his desk, which he was finding rather difficult with NS showing off her prison vocabulary at the top of her lungs.

When Eri had successfully shoved a chocolate bar in NS's mouth, he turned to Mine, hoping to dispel the tension before another argument could arise.

"So Mine, have you been getting any more of your memories back?"

Mine mulled it over, then responded, "A few things, I've gotten a few snippets of my childhood back, mostly pieces with NS."

"So nothing of any _real _importance." Kira remarked snidely. NS gave Kira a "shut-your-trap" look and continued to munch on her chocolate bar.

"Well, at least it's something! I wish I could control it somehow, but I can't. One minute I'm making a snack, and then it just clicks." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

NS licked her fingers, sucking off the last traces of chocolate from them. "I say you shouldn't dwell on it. You should start focusing on your next move! I mean, you're a student now, there's a lot more things you have to worry about, like collecting souls."

Mine's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right! Ryu we better start going on some missions! ...Ryu?" She turned to see her partner was asleep face-down on his desk. She mumbled a curse under her breath and gave him a well-placed kick in the shin.

Ryu shot up out of his seat in shock and pain. "God dammit, I was **SLEEPING**!"

"Good for you, now _as I was saying _we should start applying for missions. We have only one soul."

"So what? That's still more than any other meister I had got for me. Why don't we just take it easy for a while."

"Oh, I don't think you should let him Mine. You have a lot to live up to." Kira pointed out.

"Why's that?" Mine asked.

"You don't know?" Kira said disbelievingly, "You're mom AND your grandmother made their partners into Deathscythes, it's only logical you should to, right?"

Mine froze, her jaw hanging slightly open. "My mom..._**and **_my grandmother?"

"And everyone expects you to turn Ryu into one as well!" NS added.

"Oh crap..." Ryu muttered, his head slamming against his desk.

Mine grabbed Ryu's shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "Don't you "Oh crap..." me! I'm going to make you into a Deathscythe if it's the last thing I do!"

"Calm down, Mine, I think your taking this too seriously."

"Are you implying that I'm freaking out? Well, I'm not! I'M PERFECTLY _**CALM**_!" Her fingers dug into Ryu's shoulders hard enough to cause bruises.

"...Of course you are." Ryu smiled nervously, trying to pry her off of him.

Suddenly a voice came over the intercom: "Will Mine Evans, Ryu Avery, Night*Star Nakatsukasa, Eri Hayashi, Kazu Death and Kira Death please report to the Death Room immediately."

"Yay~! Daddy wants to see us!" Kazu cheered.

"Whatever I'm being called down for, I didn't do it!" NS cried, slightly panicked. "And none of you have anything against me!"

Eri patted NS's shoulder. "Calm down, NS. It's probably about a mission."

"A mission?!" Mine exclaimed. "Really?!"

"Maybe…you never know." Ryu remarked, pushing Mine off him and rubbing his sore shoulders.

"I hope so! We can finally start collecting souls, I said I'd make you a Deathscythe, and I will!"

"It better not be a mission." Kira hissed. "If it is a mission, then that means I'll have to actually work with NS. I get enough of her in school already."

"Oh, quit sulking and admit you love me!" NS teased as the group left the classroom and strolled through the near-empty halls to the Death Room.

* * *

A/N

Me: Well, there you have it, chapter 9. Few things I feel like I should mention that I keep forgetting to tell you guys. 1) Mine's named is pronounced ME-NAY. Not mine as in "That fudge is mine." ME-NAY. Okay, Jordan? I'm talking to you. I don't care how much damn symbolism there is in calling her mine. She's ME-NAY. 2) I appear to be more sporadic with my updates than I initially anticipated...okay a lot more. So expect more of that...and expect to be here a long time. This is going to be a LONG fanfic. 3) Whoever has reviewed/followed/favorited, you guys are awesome. This is an OC fic, which you gave a chance and I'm so grateful that you did. I wish everyone could be more like you guys!

Onilee: Not gonna happen!

Me: *grabs spork and hands it to Onilee* I wasn't kidding about the spork. Also, Don't expect me for a while, I have finals and Chemistry HATES me with a passion. I'll be back (hopefully) before February (pray for that). Another thing, it may not seem like it, because most of you don't know me personally. But those reviews mean A LOT. I jump up and down and squee like a little fangirl every time I get one. It makes my day and gives me that little extra push I need to keep going. So, as always and forever: FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW~!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N

Me: *huddled up in corner, not moving*

Onilee: God dammit woman, you got it done. Now is not the time to mope!

Me: You know very well I'm not moping about the chapter! I have more serious things to mope about! *turns to readers* Are you guys honestly surprised the chapter came out this late? I thought at this point you wouldn't be surprised...really? Well, glad to see you guys have faith in me! I do have good reason for being late! But, I think it's best to put that at the end! This chapter is a bit more lengthy than the last one. (Lucky you!) But...it's still unavoidable build-up. Sorry...I'm still trying to get the pacing right, and sometimes things just take MUCH longer than I expected! ACTION NEXT CHAPTER. I swear upon everything good in this universe! So, let's hop too it (Easter pun. HA!). ENJOY~!

* * *

_First Misson: Murder in Milan [Part 2]_

The halls of the DWMA were near empty, the only students to be seen were the six teenagers making their way to the Death Room. Kazu and Kira were leading the party through the twisting halls and down the long staircases until they reached a simple door with the words"Death Room" scrawled across it in a loopy script. Kira opened the door and ushered the group inside. Ryu groaned when he remembered that they still had to walk down a seemingly endless hallway in order to talk to Kid.

"This is the Death Room?" Mine wondered aloud, gazing curiously at the bizarre scenery around her. The walls mirrored the giant blue sky, with white fluffy clouds floating steadily across it and an endless expanse of desert meeting the sky at the horizon. The walkway was marked with large archways that were made to look like guillotines.

"Yup! What'd you expect, an office?" Kazu giggled.

"...Kinda?"

The end was soon in sight as the path opened up into a clearing, where they immediately noticed a raised platform surrounded by several black crosses. A single mirror stood in the center of this platform and two figures stood around it. When the group came closer, they realized the figures were Kid and Soul. Mine cringed slightly at the sight of her father, but continued walking, wanting to make a good first impression on the principal.

"There you all are!" Kid called. "I was wondering when you would show up."

"DADDY!" Kazu cheered, rushing at his father with inhuman speed. Before Kid could react, Kazu had glomped his leg and firmly anchored himself there. "I missed you so much!"

"You just saw me this morning, Kazu," Kid pointed out, trying unsuccessfully to pry Kazu off of his leg. He eventually gave up on the fruitless endeavor and turned to the others. "Now, for the reason I called you down here…you-."

"I didn't do nothing and you can't prove otherwise!" NS bellowed, her eyes darting nervously around the room.

Kid pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "NS, that's not the reason I called you down here."

"Then why did you call us down here, sir?" Eri questioned.

"A mission," Soul answered. "One we're sending all of you on."

"You expect me to work with HER?!" Kira shouted, pointing an accusing finger at NS.

"You aren't easy to work with yourself, Daddy's Girl!" NS spat.

Kira's arm lengthened and sharpened into a katana blade. "Call me that one more time and I'll stab you in the neck!"

"Girls, you're both pretty," Soul intervened, ineffectually trying to calm the rivals.

"I'm putting you girls together because this feud is getting to be absolutely ridiculous," Kid scolded. "I expect much more from E.A.T. Class meisters and weapons."

"Then why are Mine and I here?" Ryu asked, yawning loudly.

"Because this mission is the perfect opportunity for you two to stretch your legs. This is Mine's first real mission, and your first serious one, Ryu. You two could benefit from working with the others."

"Sir, what exactly is this so-called mission?" Eri inquired.

"Last night in Milan there was a huge blackout that spanned a few blocks in the nightlife district," Soul began. "When the lights came back on a half hour later there were fifty-three dead bodies."

"It's the manner in which they died that warrants our involvement," Kid continued. "The only thing abnormal about any of their bodies was their souls. That is, they didn't have them." A collective gasp filled the room.

"Fifty-three souls gone in a half hour?! How is that even possible?" Mine cried.

"Our best guess is it was the work of a large organized group. A smart one too, considering they avoided detection for this long," Kid explained.

"But that's about all we know," Soul added. "So we need you kids to travel to Milan and gather as much information as you can about the attackers. It's also very likely that they will strike again, so stay sharp and be ready to fight."

"Too many people have died already." Mine said, turning to the others "Let's make sure we stop these bastards before they kill anyone else! It's our duty as DWMA students after all."

"Hell yeah!" NS beamed, leaping onto Eri's back before he could protest. "Now mush boy! We have a plane to catch!" she ordered.

Eri sighed heavily and reluctantly carried NS out of the Death Room.

"You owe me BIG TIME for this one, Kid," Kira hissed, glaring at her adoptive father and storming out after NS.

"Wish us luck, Daddy!" Kazu laughed, giving Kid one last big hug before catching up to Kira.

"Hey! Wait up guys!" Mine quickly grabbed Ryu's hand and towed him out of the room. Ryu, not liking being dragged around like a leashed puppy, dug his feet into the ground and refused to move. "What are you, four?"

"No, I'm fifteen, and am perfectly capable of walking without you clinging to me," Ryu retorted, straightening himself up and sauntering ahead of Mine. Mine sighed heavily and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group.

* * *

A few hours later, the group found themselves sitting on the verdant grass of the Sempione Park in Milan. The sun was beginning to set and the street lights were flickering on in anticipation of the coming darkness.

"I still can't believe it only took us a few hours to get from Nevada to Italy."

"That's what happens when you have access to some of the fastest jets in the world," NS smiled. "Let's get down to business, then! We got some serious ass to kick!"

"I think it'd be best if we split up," Eri began in a more reasonable tone. "There's a lot of ground we need to cover and not much time to cover it."

Kira agreed, smiling smugly. "That, in fact, is the first step of my plan."

"And who put you in charge, Daddy's Girl?" NS taunted.

"I did, so shut up," Kira coolly quipped. "Now, first step is to split up. Kazu and I will talk to the police and-"

"Why can't Eri and I talk to the police?" NS complained.

"Fine! NS and Eri will talk to the police and Kazu and I will recheck the crime scene to see if they missed something!"

"That's better!"

"What about Ryu and me?" Mine questioned curiously.

"You guys should hit the streets around the crime scene. Our enemy isn't likely to attack the same place again, but they might still be in the area."

"We can contact each other with these!" Kazu squealed, handing everyone a Bluetooth headset (which he had lovingly adorned with glitter paint on the plane.)

Everyone placed them snugly in their ears, with the exception of Kira, who stared icily at the sparkly piece of equipment. "Remind me not to let you hold onto anything anymore."

"But it looks so much better now!" Kazu beamed, his eyes lighting up. "It's not all black and gray and boring!"

Kira fought the urge to throw the communicator into a nearby lake, preferring not to deal with Kazu's imminent meltdown if she did. Placing it in her ear, she continued, "If you see anything suspicious. Just contact the rest of us and we'll come to back you up."

"Well, let's hit it! It's already dark." Ryu motioned to the night sky and the first few twinkles of stars.

* * *

"Look Kira! Yellow tape!" Kazu hollered at the katana in his hand. He was indicated the police tape that was blocking off the whole street.

"Looks like this is the place. And don't shout so loud Kazu! We don't exactly have permission to be here!"

"Okay," Kazu loudly whispered.

"Let's just check out the street for now. That's where most of the murders occurred.

Kazu obediently ducked under the tape and marched onward. The two noticed the numerous lines of white tape on the ground that the police had placed to outline where the bodies had been found.

"Lord Death," Kira breathed in amazement. "They're everywhere!"

"This is kinda creepy, Kira...I don't think I wanna do this anymore," Kazu whimpered.

"Don't be a pussy, Kazu! It's just white tape," Kira snapped. She'd never admit it, but this place was giving her the heebie-jeebies too. "Kid wasn't kidding. There's no way one pre-Kishin could've covered this much ground so quickly…the bodies are too close together for that. There isn't any blood either..."

"D-Don't you have to...c-cut someone u-up to get to their soul?" Kazu asked, his shaking gradually getting worse as they continued.

"Cut, shoot, stab, reduce to a smothering pile of ash…you'd have to do something! But there aren't any marks that indicate anything like that anywhere, not even a scratch on the street!"

"S-So...what d-did these things d-do?!" Kazu wailed.

"I have no idea, but it sure as hell was effective."

* * *

"So...these are the agents the notorious DWMA sent us?" Detective Guillani mumbled, staring in disbelief at the blue-haired girl bouncing up and down in her seat and the young doe-eyed boy feeding her chocolate to calm her down. _When has more sugar ever cured hyperactivity?_ he thought.

"You're in charge of the murder investigation right?" Eri began once NS had begun to suck on her Hershey Bar.

"Yes, Detective Guillani at your service. I have to say...I expected the academy to send someone a bit...different."

Eri chuckled nervously. "Yeah we get that a lot."

"Just cut to the chase and we'll solve this whole damned mystery for you Detective Guyliner!" NS piped, mocking a salute.

"It's Guillani, and I will. First of all, there're a lot more bodies than we originally told you of. It's turned up closer to one hundred and the public is in a bit of a panic right now."

"Understandable," Eri responded.

"So far it's only been grown men and women. No children have been attacked yet, and I'm hoping it stays that way." Guillani pulled a manila envelope from his desk drawer and handed it to Eri. "These are some pictures of the bodies."

NS quickly snatched the envelope from Eri, tore it open and began poring over the pictures. "Holy shit..." she mumbled, staring slack-jawed at crime-scene and autopsy photos. Each person looked as if they had just fallen asleep on the street. There was no blood, no gore…just dozens of peaceful faces with hardly a scratch to be seen.

"Their souls were sucked clean out of them, that much we can tell. We also discovered bruises on their upper arms, as if they were held down. Yet nothing seemed major enough to cause death."

"This is getting really f-ed up," NS commented.

"We managed to piece together from the few who survived that it was a large group that assaulted them. But the blackout made it hard for them to see exactly what that large group was. On top of that, out assailants were also dressed in black."

"So a shit-ton of goths attacked them?" NS suggested.

"NS! This is serious!" Eri scolded.

"We're still looking into what caused the blackout, though," Guillani continued. "Sadly, this is all the info I can give you kids. Our department will keep in contact with you though."

"Thank you very much, sir." Eri bowed slightly and turned to NS. "We should probably show these to the others."

"There's more of you?" Guillani prodded.

"Yeah!" Next began, "A blind girl with her metrosexual weapon and a 'special' boy with his twin sister...who's a total bitch."

"...Oh, Dio, abbi pietà di noi tutti." Guillani sighed exasperatedly, resting his forehead in his hands.

* * *

"Do you get the feeling we've been screwed over by our teammates?" Mine looked at the scythe slung over her shoulder. The two were strolling down a long street, which, they assumed, used to be bustling with life before the murders. Now everyone was much too frightened to be out at night. The little shops that lined the road were all closed, some were even boarded up. The only lights that illuminated the dull night were the dull street lights, and the faded stars above. Mine's footfalls echoed all around her with each step.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, everyone's doing 'something' and we're just canvassing the streets. It's not exactly what I pictured my first mission to be like."

"It wasn't exactly an action-packed mission to begin with."

"Ryu, there was a horde of enemies and dozens of victims! You'd think something pretty freaking action-packed would've happened by now!"

"Point taken," Ryu relented. "But chill a little, will ya? You're getting a little too antsy for my tastes."

"But I have a reputation to uphold at school! I took down a witch before I'd even enrolled. People might start thinking I just got lucky if I don't start showing some results."

"...But you did just get lucky."

Mine glared at her weapon. "You're so damn supportive, aren't you?"

Little did the two know, they were being watched. From up on the rooftops, two figures had their eyes glued to Mine and Ryu's every move.

One giggled softly. "Hehehehe! Lookie, lookie, Amon! It's Tsubasa's little experiment!

The other grinned from ear to ear. "I wonder if Mistress would praise us if our little experiments took down the one who killed her..."

"HahahaHA! Amon, you beautiful genius! A perfect way to test our army's power!" Chernabog kissed Amon's cheek.

Amon's crazed smile curled around his face, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "You're too sweet to me, my gorgeous harlequin." He grabbed Chernabog's hand and twirled her around, Chernabog tittered as the world spun around her, she felt as if she were riding a merry-go round.

Her lover soon stilled her and dipped her low, "Hehe! It's your fault for being so handsome in the moonlight!" She teased, lightly slapping his arm. Amon pulled her to her feet, "How about we summon our little Collectors together?" She cooed.

"Brilliant idea, love." Amon and Chernabog snapped their fingers, the sound echoing throughout the empty streets. Mine froze when it met her ears. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I heard something..."

"It's probably just your nerves. I think you should-."

Ryu never finished his unsuspecting thought, as he was suddenly cut off by the sound of dozens of feet marching towards them.

Mine's soul perception picked up the faint wavelengths of human souls approaching rapidly. Something seemed to be muddling or suppressing them. She gripped Ryu's staff with both hands and prepared herself for whatever was coming.

Suddenly, a mob figures began pouring out from the darkened alleys lining the streets. All were of near uniform height, but some with more slender, feminine bodies, and all with large black hoods masking their faces.

"Ryu...I think we found our killers."

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _First Mission: Murder in Milan [Part 3]_

* * *

A/N

Me: Sorry I totally forgot to put the _To be continued... _last chapter, my bad! Also: titles are still the bane of my existence! Alright, Onilee, bring me the list of excuses...

Onilee: You seriously prepared a list for this? *hands list to me*

Me: *snatches list* Go shove a spork up your ass, this is serious! Okay, here's my story. *deep breath* I got hit with inspiration for this around two weeks into February. Yet right when that happened, I got slapped in the face with an **annoying as hell** group project where my teacher picked the groups. And,** oh JOY**, that annoying kid in my English class who has a crush on me was in my group! He asked me out every single freaking day and made me very uncomfortable (I was too polite to turn him down properly, and I'm pissed that I couldn't). On top of that he's an idiot. So I ended up doing ALL the work for this project and stressed about it for about two weeks. And by the time it was all over, my inspiration had fled (I blame this boy entirely for that. Inspiration came about a week ago and I finished the chapter, YAY!

But...then...really serious things happened at my house. My younger sister has a lot of...problems, which do involve her taking a fair amount of medication. For about the last month we've been trying to switch her meds. So she's been really irritable lately. Last Saturday it got really serious, basically the whole day (not even joking, whole day) consisted of her screaming and shouting and crying and having some suicidal thoughts...the next day she had to be hospitalized (For stress! Nothing really serious.). She's home now, but she's not going to school for a while, she's now in a day-program at the hospital. Its been really hard, so I'm sorry I didn't get this up last weekend, but I've been worried about her. *phew* That is now off my chest and I feel better! Thanks to whoever read this, I know a lot of you don't. I don't mind.

Onilee: They have no reason to. They just want to read the story, God only knows WHY though.

Me: *smacks Onilee* I hope for your continued support! I will never ever abandon this story (unless I die). So, sing it! FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW~!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N

Me: Guys, guess what! YOU GET MORE THAT STUPID BUILD-UP THIS CHAPTER! *fireworks go off in the background*

Onilee: Remind me who the fuck cares anymore? Are people even READING this?

Me: Yes, people are reading this Onilee for the _fiftieth_ time!

Onilee: All I'm saying is if they wanna waste time they should go to tumblr. Much more interesting!

Me: *pulls Onilee in headlock* For those of you who stuck with me this long, this is for you! ENJOY~!

* * *

___First Mission: Murder in Milan [Part 3]_

_I have a feeling this isn't going to end well..._ Mine thought, just as three of the deranged figures lunged at them. Mine barely managed to block them as she was pushed back. Not allowing them to get the upper hand, she regained a steady foothold and shoved them back, adding a quick slash of her scythe to the mix for good measure.

She missed entirely. The creatures moved almost like liquid, their limbs flowing and rolling in waves that defied anatomy. The most unsettling aspect, though, was the fact that they made no sound. They didn't grunt, growl, or speak. Not even their breathing could be heard.

Mine charged at them again, focusing on only one member of the group this time. Ryu's blade cut cleanly through the creature this time. Mine felt as though she were slicing butter. She expected the creature to dissipate into black smoke leaving a red Kishin-egg soul behind. Instead, the top half of the dark figure slid off and hit the concrete with a gooey wet sound. The bottom toppled next to it and dozens of bright blue human souls spilled out.

"W-What the hell?!"

"Mine, look out!" Ryu cried. Mine looked up just in time to see a black mass topple her to the ground. It tried to pin her down but she was too quick. She kicked it in the stomach, feeling her foot sink in a little too deep to the gummy flesh. The kick shoved it off as she rolled away. She got to her feet just as five of its companions began to surround her. She swung Ryu around in a circle, cleaning hacking of five heads. The creatures' bodies tumbled, spilling dozens more human souls into the street.

"What in Lord Death's name are these things?" Ryu breathed in shock.

"I dunno, but I don't like it. Does that mean these things are human?"

"No human has this many souls on their bodies. And their bodies are all wrong. They feel like bags of jello."

Mine made a face. "Gross."

Meanwhile, up on the rooftops, Amon and Chernabog looked on at the performance unfolding before their eyes.

"Hmm…I guess we'll have to use stronger stuff to make them more formidable against the DWMA brats," Amon remarked.

Chernabog chuckled, "Hehehe, Amon, this show isn't dramatic enough! We need to up the stakes a bit."

Amon chewed on his lip as he thought. "Well...the Piazza del Duomo is only a few blocks away. How does a little mass hysteria sound?"

"Hahaha! Perfect! Panic, confusion, and madness! Just what the doctor ordered!" Chernabog snapped her fingers. "Onwards to the main square my pretty ones!" She cackled as her creations abandoned their interest in the meister and weapon and began rushing past them.

"Where're they going?!" Mine shouted over the stampeding of almost thirty-five pairs of feet making their way down the street.

"Holy shit, they're headed for the main square! There's hundreds of people there! We have to stop them!"

"Right!" Mine ran after the brutes as fast as her legs could carry her. _Damn, there's so many __of them! Maybe I should call for backup._ She reached for her Bluetooth, then hesitated. _No...I took down a witch without a weapon! If I can tap into that power I used to kill Tsubasa, then I can beat these guys__,__ no sweat! _

Mine gripped Ryu a little tighter and willed her legs to carry her faster until she finally reached the well-lit hub of the Piazza, just in time to see a black mass converge on the unsuspecting populace.

"Mine! Hurry up!" Ryu urged as Mine froze where she stood.

"Just hang on a minute Ryu!" Mine replied, closing her eyes and focusing all her attention to the push and pull of her soul. _Come on! I know you worked once before! You can do it again!_

"The hell are you doing?!" Ryu barked.

"Be quiet, Ryu! I'm trying to concentrate!" Mine snapped. _Dammit! COME ON! I need to use that power again!_

Loud shrieks and screams began to tear through the night as the strange beings grabbed people and held them down. Their heads dipped low and sealed their victims mouth shut with their own. The screams of the targeted ones abruptly stopped and the killers lifted their heads to scarf down the soul they had sucked up.

"MINE!" Ryu shouted over the horrified pleas for help from the people.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, RYU!"

"BING!" A familiar voice echoed in the streets. Mine and Ryu looked on to see a blue-haired streak shoot through the crowd, leaving in her wake her weapon's ever multiplying kunai. "Take that, you freaky goths!"

"NS!" Ryu yelled, "Thank God."

"Don't think I'm going to let you upstage me, you blue-haired freak!" Kira's voice shouted from above. The group looked up to see Kazu flying fast towards the hooded army on a skateboard, a silver sword edge glistening in the moonlight.

"YAY!" Kazu cheered, as he began cleaving through the midnight-colored crowd. "Daddy's gonna be so happy when he finds out we caught the bad guy!"

Amon and Chernabog, who had moved to the clock tower to get a better look, cringed. Both of them snapped their fingers in rapid succession to call a retreat. Their army heard their masters' orders loud and clear, and made a dash for the alleyways and the dark shadows.

"Yeah! You better run! Nobody messes with the Star Clan!" NS proclaimed, puffing out her chest.

Eri quickly transformed back into a human. "NS, don't provoke them."

Once the square had emptied, the damage became more evident. About twenty corpses littered the area, some no less than thrifty feet from where Mine and Ryu stood. Mine felt as though she'd been punched in the throat, the severity of the situation finally dawning on her.

"Oh no..." she whispered. "I...screwed up."

The rest of the group had noticed Mine and Ryu, and a tense silence passed between them. It was only broken when Kira turned back to her human form and marched up to the pair, grabbing Mine by the collar.

"Mind telling me just what the FUCK YOU WERE DOING?!"

Mine stammered, still in shock, "I-I just..."

"You just what? What were you thinking?! You were right freaking there and you let those people get attacked!"

"N-No! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Mine argued, she began to shake slightly.

Ryu slipped out of Mine's grasp, transferring to human form and pulling Kira off Mine. "Hey, hey! Let go of my meister!"

"Let go of me!" Kira wiggled out of Ryu's grip. "Don't think you're getting off so easy either, Ryu! What exactly was going through your thick fucking skull while these people were being murdered, huh?"

"I...I dunno..." Ryu answered lamely.

"You don't know? How can you two be so stupid!"

"Kira, stop yelling!" Kazu wailed, covering his ears with his hands. "You're so loud!"

"Sorry, Kazu." Kira softened her voice a bit. "Do you guys realize what you just did? You screwed up royally."

"I-I'm so sorry," Mine offered, biting her cheek, trying not to break down in shame.

"Try telling that to Kid when her finds out." Kira turned to the others. "Come on…we figured out who was responsible. Let's get on a plane and go home."

* * *

"So that's the full mission report?" Kid inquired to the six students in front of him.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," NS returned.

"Hmmm...interesting," Kid murmured. "A group of inhuman creatures that can suck our souls and even store them in their own bodies. I'll have to talk to Stein about this. Good job."

"Thank you, sir." The group nodded.

"Don't think your work is over: I still expect you to hunt down the rest of these creatures and their maker…or makers. I'll let you know when you need to head out again. For now you can go home and get some rest, you are all dismissed." A tense pause hung in the air before he added, "Except for Ryu and Mine, I would like to have a word with you."

Mine gulped and turned to NS, who offered her a smile and a thumbs-up for good luck. "See you later, Mine." She hopped up on Eri's back. "Onward!"

Eri huffed and reluctantly trudged towards the door, Kazu and Kira following behind them quietly.

Once they had gone, Mine cleared her throat. "Sir, if it means anything to you, I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you feel sorry for what happened Mine. But that still doesn't change your situation."

"...I know." She sighed defeatedly.

"We work in a dangerous business Mine. People die everyday. A few casualties from any mission is normal, but I'm rather surprised. From what your teammates said, you were right there and you still didn't act."

Mine nodded. "It's true."

"It's my fault too, sir!" Ryu interjected in defense of his partner. "We're a team. I should've forced her to move when she froze up."

"I'm not blaming anyone here, Ryu." Kid ran his fingers through his hair, carefully choosing and arranging each word in his mind before speaking again with difficulty. "Perhaps I expected too much from the two of you. Physically, I believe that you two are beyond ready to do the work of students with far more experience. Mentally, though, you're still not prepared."

"We'll work hard! I swear that it will never happen again!" Mine promised, desperation creeping into her tone.

After a long pause, Kid spoke up. "You're right, because as of right now I'm pulling you two from the mission."

"What?!" the two exclaimed in unison.

"NS, Eri, Kazu, and Kira are more than capable of finishing the mission with one less pair. For now you two need to learn to control your emotions when you're in battle and be able to work as a team. You are allowed to take on smaller missions if you want, but I would recommend some self-reflection before anything else."

"...Yes, sir," Mine replied, her head hung low.

"We'll do our best," Ryu added.

"Glad to hear it. Go home and get some rest you two."

Mine and Ryu nodded and made their way out of the Death Room.

_Dammit... _Mine thought. _Just...God dammit..._

* * *

_To be continued..._

Next Chapter: _Balance and Battle Plans_

* * *

A/N

Me: ...How about them apples?! Bet you weren't expecting that! Oh...you were...okay then.

Onilee: I warned you it was too obvious. But do you listen to me? NO! NOBODY DOES!

Me: For good reason, Onilee. Quick announcement before I sign off, I'd like to say I'll be getting the next chapter up next month, especially because it's summer and I'll have more time on my hands but...hehe, see here's the thing-.

Onilee: **Her editor is abandoning ship!**

Me: YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE SHE QUIT! My editor wrote an essay a few months back that won her a trip to Greece...that trip apparently goes from like June 8th to early July. So, while we'll still be able to communicate, she won't be able to edit for me. Meaning, no updates for June.

Onilee: And before you guys start saying: "Just update without her editing!" I'm just going to stop you here. If you think that her writing is bad now, oh-hoh just try and get through the unedited version without attempting to poke your eyes out.

Me: It's not THAT bad! But, it's bad enough that I don't feel comfortable posting without her critic and blessing. I will still be writing during June! If all goes well, you guys'll have a update-filled July! Also, I know I say this a lot, but: FAVORITE, FOLLOW, AND REVIEW! [It goes a long way :) ]


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